Netflix
is
being
sued
because
of
a
sexist
remark
in
its
hit
series
The
Queen's
Gambit.
According
to
reports,
Nona
Gaprindashvili,
one
of
the
top
chess
players
in
the
world
in
the
1970s,
has
filed
a
defamation
suit
against
Netflix
on
Thursday,
September
16.
The
Queen's
Gambit,
based
on
a
1983
novel,
follows
Beth
Harmon
who
was
raised
in
an
orphanage
and
grows
up
to
become
one
of
the
best
chess
players.
She
goes
on
to
beat
Russia's
finest
players
in
the
1960s
in
Moscow
at
the
height
of
the
Cold
War.
In
the
suit
filed
by
Gaprindashvili,
she
reportedly
talks
about
a
scene
in
the
final
episode
of
the
show
where
she
is
being
mentioned
by
a
male
chess
commentator.
The
dialogue
says,
"The
only
unusual
thing
about
her
(Beth
Harmon),
really,
is
her
sex.
And
even
that's
not
unique
in
Russia.
There's
Nona
Gaprindashvili,
but
she's
the
female
world
champion
and
has
never
faced
men."
Nona
has
claimed
that
this
comment
puts
her
in
a
false
light.
That
the
episode
was
reportedly
set
in
1968,
and
Nona
revealed
that
by
then
she
had
competed
against
at
least
59
male
chess
players,
including
10
grandmasters.
The
suit
said,
"the
allegation
that
Gaprindashvili
'has
never
faced
men'
is
manifestly
false,
as
well
as
being
grossly
sexist
and
belittling."
"Netflix
brazenly
and
deliberately
lied
about
Gaprindashvili's
achievements
for
the
cheap
and
cynical
purpose
of
'heightening
the
drama'
by
making
it
appear
that
its
fictional
hero
had
managed
to
do
what
no
other
woman,
including
Gaprindashvili,
had
done," the
complaint
read.
She
also
expressed
concern
over
Netflix
describing
her
as
Russian,
"despite
knowing
that
she
was
Georgian,
and
that
Georgians
had
suffered
under
Russian
domination
when
part
of
the
Soviet
Union,
and
had
been
bullied
and
invaded
by
Russia
thereafter,"
the
suit
added.
Gaprindashvili
is
reportedly
seeking
at
least
USD
5
million
in
actual
damages
plus
more
in
punitive
damages.
She
also
wants
a
court
order
that
would
remove
the
dialogue
from
the
show
that
she
never
played
against
men.
On
the
other
hand,
Netflix
spokesperson
told,
The
Hollywood
Reporter,
"Netflix
has
only
the
utmost
respect
for
Ms.
Gaprindashvili
and
her
illustrious
career,
but
we
believe
this
claim
has
no
merit
and
will
vigorously
defend
the
case."
The
mini-series
released
in
2020,
was
directed
by
Scott
Frank,
starred
Anya
Taylor-Joy
as
Beth.
The
show
garnered
critical
acclaim
for
the
storytelling
and
performances
on
release
and
also
received
18
nominations
at
the
73rd
Primetime
Emmy
Awards.