The True Story Behind Netflix's The Manhattan Alien Abduction, Explained

A recent Netflix docuseries has captured the attention of subscribers, and it's one that deserves a slightly deeper dive. "The Manhattan Alien Abduction" tells the alleged true story of a woman named Linda Napolitano, who claims to have been abducted by aliens in the late '80s. This series attempts to get to the bottom of it all. The true story behind the documentary is, as one would expect, a bit messy, given that we're dealing with an uncertain phenomenon. That said, it's worth going over the history of this case for viewers who are either reckoning with what they just witnessed or who are looking to ride the wave of popularity surrounding this doc right now.

Netflix using true stories to craft popular television is nothing new. The success of stuff like "Files of the Unexplained" on the streaming service is proof enough of that, but there are near-countless examples. But this latest example has a truly wild story behind it, a story that has been a source of contention for some time, which has only been exacerbated by the existence of this docuseries.

For those who may not be familiar, Netflix bills the show as the true story behind one of greatest mysteries in the history of UFO sightings. The series was granted access to hundreds of hours of never-before-seen footage, as well as new interviews with Napolitano, in addition to skeptics who doubt her story. Vivienne Perry ("Meet Me in the Bathroom") and Daniel Vernon ("Nail Bomber: Manhunt") directed the series.

The word "true" takes on a loose meaning as it relates to "The Manhattan Alien Abduction" because we're dealing with something that cannot (or at the very least has not up to this point) be proven without a shadow of a doubt. It is, on some level, hearsay. That said, we are going to cover the history behind the story that serves as the basis of this documentary and shed some light on the situation.

Very basically, in 1989, New York City resident Linda Napolitano claimed that she was abducted by aliens from her high-rise apartment. One of the key things about the incident is that it was reportedly witnessed by over 20 people and later became highly publicized. The occurrence has become famous in UFO circles and is commonly known as the Brooklyn Bridge Abduction. In 1996, author and UFOlogist Budd Hopkins documented Napolitano's claims in a book titled "Witnessed: The True Story of the Brooklyn Bridge UFO Abductions." For a time, Napolitano was using the alias Linda Cortile to tell her story.

Whether it's a pure work of fiction like Netflix's popular "3 Body Problem," a compelling bit of evidence suggesting we are not alone in the universe, or an unexplained occurrence not involving aliens is still up for debate, depending on who one asks. As Napolitano tells it, she was visited by three small beings who "levitated her 'like an angel' into a hovering craft." Witnesses are said to have looked on in horror. In a 2013 piece for Vanity Fair, Napolitano commented:

"If I was hallucinating, then the witnesses saw my hallucination. That sounds crazier than the whole abduction phenomenon."

By all accounts, and for decades now, Napolitano has maintained that her story happened exactly as she said it did. The other important thing to point out is that Budd Hopkins' book "Witnessed" was more of a corroboration of her story rather than approaching it with skepticism. Meanwhile, one of Netflix's promos for the documentary reads, "A woman claims to have been abducted from her bedroom in Manhattan. This docuseries explores whether it was an elaborate hoax — or proof of alien life."

The docuseries certainly leans much harder into the skeptical side of things. Much of that has to do with Carol Rainey, who participated in the documentary and is one of Napolitano's more notable detractors. Also, rather notably, Rainey is the ex-wife of Hopkins, who wrote the book about Napolitano's abduction tale. Rainey passed away in 2023 but worked on the documentary until her passing.

Per The Independent, Napolitano tried to sue to block Netflix from releasing the docuseries, as she was "egregiously deceived" and wouldn't have participated in the project had she known how it would have turned out. The legal filing characterized Rainey as an "embittered, alcoholic ex-wife hell bent on revenge against her husband." So the events themselves are not only a matter of contention, but the documentary is embroiled in controversy as well.

When these sorts of documentaries happen, they tend to stir the pot. WWE head honcho Vince McMahon was unhappy with Netflix's recent, rather successful "Mr. McMahon," for example. It's sort of the nature of the beast. It's no different when it comes to getting to the bottom of popular tales of alleged alien abduction.

"The Manhattan Alien Abduction" is streaming now on Netflix.