Key Takeaways

• “Tell Them You Love Me” dissects the affair between Anna Stubblefield (known as Kate Dulcich in the documentary) and Derrick Johnson, a non-verbal Black man with cerebral palsy.
• Stubblefield reported that Johnson could express complex thoughts and had fallen deeply in love with her.
• “Tell Them You Love Me” provides an intimate look at both sides through interviews with Stubblefield, the Johnson family, and legal experts.

In June 2024, Netflix will debut the critically acclaimed documentary “Tell Them You Love Me,” exploring one of the most controversial and inharmonious criminal trials in recent memory.

Directed by Nick August-Perna, the film dissects the affair between Anna Stubblefield (played by Kate Dulcich in the documentary) and Derrick Johnson (played by Jerron Herman), a non-verbal Black man with cerebral palsy.

Stubblefield, a respected philosophy professor and disability rights advocate, met Johnson in 2009 when his family sought her help unlocking his mind using facilitated communication, a controversial technique.

After nearly two years of working together, Stubblefield reported that Johnson could express complex thoughts and had fallen deeply in love with her.

The revelations shocked Johnson’s mother, Daisy, and brother, John, who had always hoped to find a way to communicate with Derrick but were disturbed by Stubblefield’s claim of a romantic relationship.

What followed was a high-profile criminal trial that challenged societal perceptions of disability, communication, and the nature of consent.

Prosecutors alleged that Johsnon, who required 24/7 care and support, lacked the judicious ability to consent to the sexual relationship due to his disabilities.

Stubblefield insisted she had helped Johnson find his voice through facilitated communication and that he was a consenting, intelligent adult finally able to express his innermost desire after a lifetime of silence.

In 2015, Stubblefield was convicted of two counts of aggravated sexual assault and sentenced to 12 years in prison.

However, the conviction was later overturned on appeal after the court found an expert witness who evaluated the ability to communicate was unfairly excluded.

Stubblefield ultimately took a plea deal, admitting improper sexual contact while continuing to maintain her innocence.

“Tell Them You Love Me” provides an intimate look at both sides through interviews with Stubblefield, the Johnson family, and legal experts.

The documentary exposes the complex consequences of a scandal that begs profound questions: Who has the right to determine another’s capacity for communication, love, and consent? Can good intentions lead to harmful actions?

With its US premiere on Netflix, a wide audience will now have a chance to grapple with the many ethical dilemmas raised by this stranger-than-fiction case.

The lasting impacts stay for the central figures whose lives were forever changed by an affair that captivated the nation.

In Case You Didn’t Know

• Anna Stubblefield is a real-life character played by Kate Dulcich.
• She was behind bars for almost two years until June 2017, when an appeal overturned her conviction.