Netflix in soup over 'grossly sexist' remark on female chess player in 'Queen's Gambit'

In a major jolt to Netflix, Georgian chess master Nona Gaprindashvili has sued the American streaming and production company over alleged defamation in the popular series - The Queen's Gambit. Netflix is set to face a $5 million lawsuit over an incorrect statement wherein a character in the show admits that she had 'never faced men' as against 59 male competitors that Nona had competed with by the year 1968. 

In an interview with US daily The New York Times, Nona had said, "They (Netflix) were trying to do this fictional character who was blazing the trail for other women, when in reality I had already blazed the trail and inspired generations."

Also, she brought to the fore that the show has portrayed her as Russian, although she is of Georgian nationality.

Deeming the portrayal as 'grossly sexist and belittling', Nona has sought claims to damages which is a 'devastating falsehood, undermining and degrading her accomplishments before an audience of many millions'. On the other hand, Netflix, in an attempt to quash its liability to damages, has stated that the show is fictional and that the creators of the show have an artistic license under the first amendment.

Netflix to face $5 million defamation lawsuit over 'grossly sexist' portrayal

While the Georgian chess player is the first female to be named a grandmaster, lawyers of Netflix have clarified that reference to Nona was with an objective to 'recognise her, not disparage her'. Her suit against the US entity was challenged at the US District Court, Southern District of California wherein the judge has denied the motion to dismiss the case at hand.

Nona's submissions to the Court read that The Queen's Gambit has 'misrepresented one of [her] most significant career achievements... before millions of viewers worldwide' and 'tarnished (her) personal and professional reputation'. 

"The fact that the Series was a fictional work does not insulate Netflix from liability for defamation if all the elements of defamation are otherwise present," the US court's order read. 

Interestingly, Netflix has contended that a mere statement in the series cannot contradict 'reasonable viewer's conclusion that the line "never faced men" carries the implication of Plaintiff’s (Nona) inferiority, the defamatory meaning attributed by Plaintiff'.

Netflix advanced arguments that 'an interpretation that Nona Gaprindashvili had “never faced men” is not because she was inferior, but rather because she had simply been impeded by the structural barriers depicted in the Series'.

While Nona's lawyers refuted Netflix's submissions that it had relied on chess players and experts through bonafide research. They backed the argument with facts that 'Plaintiff was well-known in the chess world' and that the information would be 'common knowledge'. Further, they stated that a simple 'Google search' could reveal truthful information on the historic chess player. 

Notably, The Queen's Gambit won 11 Emmy Awards in the year 2021. The show is based on a novel by Walter Travis.