New Casey Anthony docuseries sparks heated backlash online

New York, New York - A teaser trailer for streaming app Peacock's upcoming Casey Anthony docuseries has sparked backlash on social media.

Casey Anthony was found not guilty of first-degree murder in 2011.
Casey Anthony was found not guilty of first-degree murder in 2011.  © IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

True crime series and films have become pervasive in the pop culture zeitgeist.

Despite the ongoing moral concerns about these projects, their continued commercial success has led to more and more additions to the genre.

Most recently, Ryan Murphy's Netflix series about Jeffrey Dahmer was slammed by the families of some of Dahmer's victims as they declared it "retraumatizing."

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The success of the series for the streamer was somehow enough to justify the renewal of the show, despite these criticisms.

It seems that Peacock is the next streaming service looking to cash in on the popularity of true crime with another ethically-questionable TV show.

Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies, which will feature Anthony breaking her silence on the case for the very first time, is set to drop on Peacock on November 29, and social media users have swiftly expressed their outrage at the series.

Casey Anthony was acquitted of first-degree murder charges in 2011

Time magazine described Casey Anthony's 2011 murder trial as "the social media trial of the century."
Time magazine described Casey Anthony's 2011 murder trial as "the social media trial of the century."  © IMAGO / ZUMA Wire

Anthony was accused of murdering her two-year-old daughter Caylee in 2008 after lying to detectives. She was charged with first-degree murder and pled not guilty, but she was acquitted after what Time called "the social media trial of the century."

The verdict sparked immediate outrage, with much of the public still confident that Anthony is guilty.

The teaser trailer of Where the Truth Lies features the 36-year-old sitting in front of the camera as someone off-screen asks, "Why talk to me now, when you aren't getting creative control?"

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In a press statement, director Alexandra Dean further underscored this lack of control, explaining that Anthony "did not see or give notes on the film."

"While having access to Casey was critical, it was even more important that we had complete editorial control over the outcome of the reporting we did," Dean said.

"What emerges over the course of multiple interviews recorded over six months is a startling psychological portrait of Casey Anthony and a complete narrative of what she says happened to her daughter weighed against multiple sources of potential evidence," the director continued.

Regardless of Anthony's lack of control, many still have expressed their disappointment at Peacock for giving her a platform at all.

Peacock's Casey Anthony docuseries receives immediate backlash

The new docuseries is sparking renewed controversy over the Casey Anthony case.
The new docuseries is sparking renewed controversy over the Casey Anthony case.  © Imago/UPI Photo

The teaser trailer stirred renewed controversy over the case itself and the recent popularity of true crime-centered media.

One Twitter user described the show as evidence of "what's wrong with America" and that continuing to make profitable media out of real-life tragedies is "feeding the beast."

"Allowing casey anthony to profit off of the murder of her daughter for entertainment is actually so disgusting. i cannot believe the lack of critical thinking skills that comes with being in this generation of mass media production," another user wrote.

The onslaught of true crime media that revisits past cases does nothing more than sensationalize and exacerbate the very real trauma that the victims' loved ones have had to endure because of the crime.

While we all may be curious as to what really happened in these true crime cases, it's important that we remain mindful about the media we choose to consume.

Cover photo: IMAGO/ZUMA Wire

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