Netflix Star Victoria Pedretti Exits True Crime Film After Accused Is Exonerated

'You' star Victoria Pedretti has dropped out of her latest project, 'Lucky,' because the accused man has just been exonerated after over 15 years in prison and a lifetime of negative stigma. The author of the memoir, Alice Sebold, is currently getting the side-eye from a lot of disgruntled fans.

Sebold who was attacked and raped in 1981 pinpointed Anthony Broadwater as her attacker and later wrote about her trauma in the biography Lucky. The book was in the process of being turned into a film but while doing the normal research and fact-checking for the film, the executive producer, Tim Mucciante abruptly removed himself from the situation citing holes in the story and not being able to get the truth.

He even went as far as to hire a private eye and a lawyer to dive a little deeper into the story. His hunch was right because it led to local D.A. reopening the 1982 case leading Broadwater to be exonerated. He had already spent over 15 years in prison and even though he was released in 1999, he shares that his life has been a travesty since because of the rules and stigma following an alleged convicted sexual offender.

The actress revealed via her publicist that she too is no longer associated with the film, her announcement comes a few days after Sebold’s false accusation was revealed. It is important to note that Pedretti’s role in the film was unclear but it wouldn’t be far-fetched to assume she would be playing Sebold.

In addition to the Haunting of Hill House actress removing herself, the film has also quietly lost its financing leading up to the exoneration.

Back in ’81, Broadwater was convicted through on-stand testimony from Sebold and microscopic hair analysis, a practice that has since been scientifically debunked. Sebold also appeared confused about which black guy attacked her.

At first, she said an unidentified black guy approached her months after her attack at Syracuse University and she identified him as her attacker. The police investigated the area, found Broadwater, who was said to fit a general description.

Later, Sebold was not able to pick Broadwater out of a lineup and even pinpointed another black guy but the cops already had their sights set on Broadwater. Almost a year later during her testimony, she was sure it was Broadwater who attacked her.

The author is yet to comment on the exoneration, but she was spotted for the first time since the news broke. Lucky would have been the second book of Sebold’s to be turned into a film. Her first novel The Lovely Bones was adapted in 2009.

The themes of the book were similar to her memoir including sexual assault, murder, and an eerie supernatural twist. The book was a New York Times Bestseller!

A video of Broadwater’s exoneration is available on YouTube but be warned it is emotional. Broadwater can be seen breaking down and extremely expressive over finally having his name cleared.