Trial witness against Theranos' Elizabeth Holmes sues Disney, Hulu over miniseries | Inquirer Entertainment

Trial witness against Theranos’ Elizabeth Holmes sues Disney, Hulu over miniseries

/ 03:14 PM March 24, 2023

Elizabeth Holmes

Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes arrives to attend her fraud trial at federal court in San Jose, California, USA, Dec. 16, 2021. Image: Reuters/Peter DaSilva

NEW YORK—A key prosecution witness whose testimony helped convict Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes of fraud sued Walt Disney Co. on Thursday, March 23, over a recent Hulu miniseries that he says defamed him by portraying him as corrupt.

Adam Rosendorff, a former Theranos lab director, objected in a New York state court filing to a fictional character who held the same job in “The Dropout,” which starred Amanda Seyfried as Holmes, chronicling her rise and fall at the blood-testing startup.

Article continues after this advertisement

Rosendorff said the character, Mark Roessler, covered up Theranos’ fraud by ordering the destruction of damaging lab results, falsifying records and engaging in other dishonest and unethical conduct.

FEATURED STORIES

According to Rosendorff, the portrayal has had a “devastating effect” on his reputation and career as a physician because media and even acquaintances have concluded that Roessler was based on him.

“At the time of the trial, (Rosendorff) was considered a heroic whistleblower, a witness who was instrumental in the jury’s verdict convicting Holmes,” the filing said. “Now he has been falsely portrayed as a perjurer, a criminal and of being completely unfit to practice his profession.”

Article continues after this advertisement

“The Dropout” made its debut last March.

Article continues after this advertisement

Neither Disney nor Hulu immediately responded to requests for comment. Disney owns 67% of Hulu, while Comcast Corp.’s NBCUniversal owns 33%.

Article continues after this advertisement

Richard Altman, a lawyer for Rosendorff, said neither he nor his client would have additional comment.

Holmes, 39, was found guilty in January 2022 and later sentenced to 11-1/4 years in prison for defrauding investors in Theranos, which was once valued at $9 billion.

Article continues after this advertisement

Now a mother of two young children, Holmes is trying to delay her sentence while she appeals her conviction. Prosecutors have opposed a delay, calling Holmes a flight risk.

The case is Rosendorff v Hulu LLC et al., New York State Supreme Court, New York County, No. 152734/2023. AP/ra

RELATED STORIES:

Disney reconsiders making content for others under Bob Iger

Disney lays off 7,000 as streaming subscribers decline

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

TAGS: Defamation, Disney, Hulu, whistleblower

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2024 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.