Netflix has undoubtedly found a hungry audience in the true crime genre, with the platform publishing several miniseries and documentaries focusing on various parts of cases from around the world.
The most recent to break into Netflix's top 10 was Matthew Hardy's case, in which he stalked dozens of women in his native Britain using bogus social profiles and photographs while pestering friends and relatives.
Can I Tell You a Secret? is a terrible example of obsession. presented a horrifying description from survivors of Hardy's harassment, as well as a breakdown of the case.
But did it include all of the information, and did it overlook any larger truths about cyberbullying in the modern era?
To answer, we'll look into the genuine tale behind the frightening Netflix documentary Can I Tell You a Secret.
Is Can I Tell You a Secret Based on True Story?
Can I Tell You a Secret? is a true crime documentary about one of the most widespread and long-running cyberstalking cases in the court system. Matthew Hardy was responsible for harassing multiple women on social media networks.
The majority of Matthew's victims were women with a large following and connections on social media. While stalking women of various ages and locations on social media, he also set up phony accounts in their names to threaten their personal and social relationships.
The Netflix show Can I Tell You a Secret? interviewed some of the victims, including model Zoe Jade Hallam, shop owner Lia Hambly, and performer Abby Furness.
The interaction with the stalker began with the show's title question, “Can I tell you a secret?” – from a seemingly nice woman, but the revelation of the secrets was spiteful and painful.
Each victim was pursued for years, and shutting down one account resulted in numerous phony accounts reaching out to the victims. If the recipients disregarded the messages, they would get calls from an unknown number with only breathing sounds on the other end.
To top off the cruel deeds, the culprit created false accounts for the victims and emailed forged lies to people related to them.
The communications included assertions about the victims performing horrific, unimaginable actions, which caused social disgrace for the uninformed victims. While many cases were filed against Matthew Hardy, the attack lasted nearly a decade.
Read More: Is The Program: Cons, Cults, And Kidnapping Based On A True Story?
Interviews with some of the victims illustrate how they suffered both socially and psychologically. Abby Furness reported that her fiancé broke up with her after receiving a message claiming she was cheating on him.
Matthew used Zoe's photos on social media to create many phony identities and contact people she knew. He also pretended to be her partner's father and discussed her interactions with minor girls.
He also created bogus accounts for his victim's partner's father and messaged teenage females, endangering the aged doctor's professional reputation.