‘Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’: Why Lionel Dahmer Is Considering Suing Netflix Over Both Series
Netflix is in the midst of controversy after the release of Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. The series starring Evan Peters was heavily criticized for taking creative license in portraying the killer and his victims’ stories. It also faced backlash from the victims’ families for not informing them of its creation. Weeks later, Netflix released Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes. Both series now have Lionel Dahmer, the killer’s father, getting heat and possibly suing Netflix.
The Netflix series ‘Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’ put Lionel Dahmer in a bad light
The complaints and backlash toward the Netflix series have escalated beyond what people expected. In a re-telling of Dahmer’s heinous journey as the Milwaukee killer and cannibal, audiences learn the harrowing stories of his victims. Audiences soon learned details of the real-life crimes, and Dahmer’s victims were twisted for entertainment.
While Dahmer’s neighbor, Glenda Cleveland, is portrayed as the one who complained about the smell and sounds coming from his apartment, the real story is different. The Netflix series combined the stories of Dahmer’s neighbors, who were friendly toward him, and the neighbor in the next building. That is not all, as Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story tweaked details from Anthony Hughs’s tragic story and death.
While audiences watched the upbringing of Dahmer, they also learned about his father, Lionel Dahmer. The Netflix series portrays Lionel Dahmer as the one who aroused his morbid curiosity by teaching him taxidermy. Lionel Dahmer had no idea about his son’s murders and twisted mind as the series progressed.
Like in real life, he wrote a book about the ordeal and the real story told from his perspective as a father. But after the release of Conversations with a Killer: The Jeffrey Dahmer Tapes, Lionel Dahmer is deeply considering suing Netflix.
Lionel Dahmer was also never consulted by Netflix about his son’s prison tapes
When Lionel Dahmer first learned his son was arrested, he never imagined why. According to The Tab, in 1994, he wrote A Father’s Story about his son’s upbringing and his contradicting feelings about him.
Since then, Lionel Dahmer has kept a low profile living with his wife in Ohio. But now, at age 86, he faces the turmoil and trauma of what his son did with the Netflix series and docu-series. According to the New York Post, he was unaware of Netflix developing the series and docu-series. Netflix not informing the victims’ families of the series has been a hot topic of discussion over morals and responsibility.
According to Dahmer’s assistant, they are gearing up for a possible lawsuit. “Lionel and his power of attorney are gathering information and looking at a possible lawsuit against the production team or possibly Netflix. There was zero care whatsoever about Lionel’s wellbeing,” explained the assistant, who wanted to be identified as Jeb.
Much like the victims’ families and viewers, Lionel Dahmer was angered by the use of fabricated details. “He thinks that none of this should have been made, all the information that needs to be public is right there in his book. Everything else is just glamorized and provides attention to details that aren’t proven fact,” explained Jeb. He also reveals that Netflix never asked permission to publicly use Dahmer’s prison tapes heard in the docu-series.
Jeffrey Dahmer fans have allegedly swarmed Lionel Dahmer’s home
Since the release of both series by Netflix, there has been a rise in interest in the killer. Some of the interest borderlines fan frenzy and even admiration. According to The Sun, a fan appeared at the Ohio home of Lionel Dahmer with an aggressive and even hostile demeanor.
In one instance, Jeb explains an unusual encounter with a female fan. “We even had a lady stop at the end of the driveway, take off her panties and throw them in the yard,” he explains. Jeb picked up the young woman’s “granny panties” with a pair of tongs.
Surprisingly, the fan’s adoration was not for Jeffrey Dahmer but for Lionel Dahmer, who shouted, “I love you, Lionel!” The scene and reasoning would disturb anyone, but Jeb explains, “Lionel’s 86, and here’s this 20-year-old lady throwing her underwear at him. It’s just like, stop.”
Now, in fear of violet fans, Jeb carries a firearm. He used to “have Lionel come out and do yard work, just to get him mobile, not anything too strenuous…but I can’t even have him in the front yard at all anymore because we’re afraid of people stopping.”
