Mary Kay Letourneau’s ex-husband slams Netflix’s ‘May December’ film as a ‘rip-off’ of his story
Vili Fualaau, the ex-husband of former teacher and convicted child rapist, Mary Kay Letourneau, says he is “offended” that no one involved in the new Netflix movie, “May December,” reached out to him before its release.
The film, which stars Natalie Portman and Julianna Moore, tells a story similar to Fualaau’s real-life ordeal. Fualaau was her second-grade student in suburban Seattle when he first met Letourneau. He was later victimized by her at the age of 12 when she was 34.
Two years, later she became pregnant with their first daughter. The couple married in 2005, after Letourneau served more than seven years in prison for second-degree child rape. They had two children.
In the drama, Portman portrays an actress who becomes obsessed with a couple with a similar backstory. Moore’s 36-year-old character seduces a 13-year-old played by Charles Melton.
Melton, Portman, and Moore are all nominated for a Golden Globe for their roles. In addition, the film is up for Best Motion Picture — Musical or Comedy.
Both Fualaau and Melton’s characters are Asian/Pacific Islanders, father children who are born in prison, and marry their female abusers.
While screenwriter Samy Burch cited Fualaau’s story as inspiration for the film, Fualaau says he never heard from anyone on the project directly.
“I’m still alive and well,” Fualaau, 40, told The Hollywood Reporter. “If they had reached out to me, we could have worked together on a masterpiece. Instead, they chose to do a ripoff of my original story.
He added, “I’m offended by the entire project and the lack of respect given to me — who lived through a real story and is still living it.”
The Post has contacted reps for Netflix, Burch, Melton, and “May December” director Todd Haynes for comment.
In November, Burch claimed that the Letourneau/Fualaau case was simply a “jumping-off point” for the plot as Moore added, “this is not the story of Mary Kay Letourneau.”
However, Burch admitted to learning from the case when conducting research.
Fualaau filed for separation from Letourneau in 2017 after 12 years of marriage but he stayed by her bedside as she died of colon cancer in 2020 at age 58. After her death, Fualaau reportedly “lost a piece of himself,” according to his close friend.
He told the outlet that he is not opposed to movies being made about his life but feels “May December” misses the mark.
“I love movies — good movies,” Fualaau claimed. “And I admire ones that capture the essence and complications of real-life events. You know, movies that allow you to see or realize something new every time you watch them.”
“Those kinds of writers and directors — someone who can do that — would be perfect to work with, because my story is not nearly as simple as this movie [portrays],” he added.
Fualaau welcomed a third daughter whose mother is not publicly known in November 2022.
