10 TV Scenes That Led To Massive Lawsuits
2. Claiming That Nona Gaprindashvili Never Competed Against Men - The Queen's Gambit
After releasing late last year, The Queen's Gambit quickly became Netflix's most-watched mini-series in history, before going on to win 11 Emmy awards, two Golden Globes, and a SAG award for star Anya Taylor-Joy.
But it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, as earlier this year, 80-year-old Georgian world chess champion Nona Gaprindashvili sued Netflix for defamation over a single sliver of dialogue mid-way through the series' final episode.
While Beth Harmon (Taylor-Joy) is in the middle of a chess match, one of the commentators compares her to champion Gaprindashvili, though backhandedly notes that she "never faced men."
This is factually incorrect, as Gaprindashvili often played against and defeated men, even playing several high-ranking grandmasters.
Gaprindashvili called the show's claim "manifestly false, as well as being grossly sexist and belittling," and accused Netflix of spinning the lie in order to make Beth's own fictional achievements seem more spectacular.
She did reportedly contact Netflix and ask them to remove the line, to which they refused, and later claimed that her suit "has no merit."
Gaprindashvili is seeking $5 million in damages from the streamer. The case is ongoing.