Netflix's popular docuseries The Manhattan Alien Abduction debuted on October 30, 2024, instantly stirring online debate about the veracity of Linda Napoliatno's alleged extraterrestrial experience. In the series, Linda claims she was abducted by aliens from her Brooklyn apartment in 1989, with 23 eyewitnesses reportedly on hand to witness the phenomenon.
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Less convinced is filmmaker and paranormal skeptic, Carol Rainey, whose husband and UFO expert Budd Hopkins supported Linda's claims over his wife's testimony. Viewers may not realize that Linda sued Netflix over the three-part documentary before it aired on Netflix, leaving many wondering where she is today and what she's been up to. Although Carol and Budd passed away before the documentary aired, it's time to catch up with Linda Napolitano in 2024 and beyond.
The Manhattan Alien Abduction
Release Date October 30, 2024 Main Genre Documentary Who Is Linda Napolitano? ✕ Remove Ads
Also known by the pseudonym Linda Cortile, Linda Napolitano is a New York native who claimed she was taken from her apartment by aliens on November 30, 1989. Dubbed "The Brooklyn Bridge Abduction," Linda alleges that she was pulled out of her 12th-floor apartment window, where she was held in a levitative trance for several minutes. Following the encounter, Linda reported the event to UFO expert Budd Hopkins, who used hypnosis to access her psyche.
A major conflict of interest arises when Budd uses Linda's testimony to write and promote a book called Witnessed: The True Story of the Brooklyn Bridge UFO Abductions. Meanwhile, Budd's wife, Carol Rainey, disbelieves every word of Linda's so-called alien abduction and pushes back on her story in the disturbing Netflix docuseries. This drives a wedge between Bud and Carol, with Bud developing a semi-romantic obsession with Linda that undermines their credibility.
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Linda claims she was taken by and experimented on by aliens, who implanted a strange device in her nose. The device is never tested nor ascertained 35 years after the alleged abduction, leaving Carol and others to dismiss her story. What begins as a mildly intriguing alien abduction account turns into a soapy grudge-holding match of "She-said, She-said," with Linda and Carol working out three decades of ill will and hard feelings mounted by Budd, who died in 2011.
Why Linda Napolitano Sued Netflix
Before The Manhattan Alien Abduction premiered on Netflix on October 20, 2024, Linda Napolitano made several efforts to prevent the documentary from seeing the light of day. Despite attempting to give fair and balanced testimony on both sides, Napolitano felt she was inaccurately portrayed and sought to prevent the public from watching the documentary.
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In addition to Netflix, Linda filed lawsuits against the production companies making the series. Napolitano also sued Carol Rainey despite the fact she died in 2023. Napolitano's official lawsuits include Breach of Good Faith, Defamation, Fraud, and Misrepresentation of Character. The official lawsuit document states (reported by Today):
"Napolitano was not remotely close to be like or appear as the person that is on-screen. Never had any bone to pick with Carol Rainey but was set up as such a villain for purposes of controversy and conflict, all of which was a patently and deliberately false portrayal to support the false narrative of the truth."
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According to Forbes, Napolitano is suing Netflix because the platform:
"Defames her, paints her in an unflattering light and steals the work of an author who first wrote about her story more than 20 years ago."
No ruling has been made official and Napolitano's lawsuit continues to be processed. However, a few details about Napolitano's whereabouts could give answers to what's next for the divisive public figure.
Where Is Linda Napolitano Now?
According to Linda Napolitano's lawsuit against Netflix, she currently resides in Soddy-Daisy, Tennessee (via People magazine). A small city of 13,000 people located near Chattanooga, Soddy-Daisy is much different than the bustling Brooklyn metropolis where Napolitano grew up. While her vocation is unclear, Napolitano may have reunited with her family.
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According to Hopkins' Witnessed: The True Story of the Brooklyn Bridge UFO Abductions, Napolitano had a husband named Steve and two sons named John and Steven. John appeared in The Manhattan Alien Abduction as a child in flashback footage and with an obscured face as an adult, never wavering in support of his mother's testimony. As John notes in the streamable alien documentary:
"I was very reluctant to even start talking about this again. It's been over 30 years since I sat down and seriously talked about this to anyone but my therapist.
"I know my mom better than anyone else, and I will tell you right now -- there's no way I believe she would want to make anything like this up."
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In addition to participating in The Manhattan Alien Abduction, Linda Napolitano's alleged abduction was the subject of the 2022 documentary film currently available on Tubi, Linda Napolitano: The Alien Abduction of the Century. Napolitano does not participate in the documentary, but her story lives on thanks to director Alessio Pierazzi's insistence that aliens abduct humans to psychologically imprint their memories.
The Manhattan Alien Abduction is available to stream on Netflix.
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