Cyntoia Brown Says Netflix Doc 'Murder to Mercy' Is Unauthorized: 'I Had Nothing to Do With This' (UPDATE)

The doc about Brown, whose case received public support from Kim Kardashian and Rihanna, is out later this month.

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UPDATED 3:40 p.m. ET: Cyntoia Brown has spoken out against the Netflix documentary, saying she had nothing to do with it and that it's unauthorized.

"While I was still incarcerated, a producer who has old footage of me made a deal with Netflix for an UNAUTHORIZED documentary, set to be released soon," she wrote on Instagram. "My husband and I were as surprised as everyone else when we first heard the news because we did not participate in any way. However, I am currently in the process of sharing my story, in the right way, in full detail, and in a way that depicts and respects the woman I am today. While I pray that this film highlights things wrong in our justice system, I had nothing to do with this documentary."

See original story below.

The story of Cyntoia Brown, who was released in 2019 after 15 years in prison for a murder which she and supporters long argued was a clear case of self-defense, takes center stage in the new Netflix documentary Murder to Mercy.

'When I was 16, I did a horrible thing," Brown says in the doc's new trailer, released Wednesday. "I do pray that you show me mercy and that you give me a second chance."

Brown's case, which caught the attention of a number of public figures including Rihanna and Kim Kardashian, saw her initial covington of aggravated robbery and first-degree murder in the death of 43-year-old Johnny Allen.

During her eventual appeals process, Brown took the stand and detailed how the incident was the result of having been involved in an abusive relationship with a drug dealer who, perNPR, "forced her into prostitution."

When Brown's release from prison was announced in August of last year, the National Women's Law Center shared a message of celebration. The justice-minded organization, however, also shared a reminder that she "never should have been in prison in the fist place" and that support for other survivors in similar predicaments must continue.

Murder to Mercy, directed by Daniel H. Birman, hits Netflix on April 29. See the trailer up top. To add it to your queue and/or to set a reminder for release day, click here.

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