'What Maisie Knew' Scribe Hit With $3M Libel Suit By Ronee Sue Blakley
Source: deadline.com
- Screenwriter Nancy Doyne faces a $3 million libel lawsuit from Ronee Sue Blakley over claims in the film *What Maisie Knew*.
- Blakley alleges the movie's backstory falsely portrays her as an abusive mother who abandoned her daughter.
- The suit seeks damages and an injunction to stop the film's distribution.
Ronee Sue Blakley, the real-life inspiration for a character in the film What Maisie Knew, sued the movie's screenwriter Nancy Doyne for $3 million in libel. She claims the film wrongfully depicts her as a neglectful, drug-abusing mother who abandoned her daughter, mirroring the plot of Henry James' novel. This matters because it challenges how real people can be portrayed in fictionalized stories based on their lives, potentially affecting Hollywood's storytelling freedoms.