Todd Haynes's latest film May December has been lauded by critics and is heavily represented on short lists as awards season approaches, but the man whose story inspired the movie isn't happy with how it's represented on screen.
Vili Fualaau, who became tabloid-famous in the mid-'90s for his relationship with his then-34-year-old teacher Mary Kay Letourneau, told The Hollywood Reporter yesterday that nobody approached him about consulting on the movie, despite Haynes's own admittance that aspects of May December were based on Fualaau and Letourneau's story.
"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 said. "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."
Haynes told TODAY.com in December that Gracie Atherton (Julianne Moore) and Joe Yoo's (Charles Melton) relationship in the film is based on Letourneau and Fualaau's story.
"Looking back at Mary Kay Letourneau's story and interviews really were of concrete help in trying to formulate that backstory, and Julianne really led that process."
To Fualaau's point, there are several similarities between him and May December's Joe. Joe was 13 when he started a relationship with Gracie, and Fualaau was 12 when he met Letourneau. Both men also fathered children that were born in prison as teens, and both married their respective abusers after they were released from prison for child rape.
Haynes, Melton, Moore and screenwriter Samy Burch have yet to comment on Fualaau's statement.
Vili Fualaau, who became tabloid-famous in the mid-'90s for his relationship with his then-34-year-old teacher Mary Kay Letourneau, told The Hollywood Reporter yesterday that nobody approached him about consulting on the movie, despite Haynes's own admittance that aspects of May December were based on Fualaau and Letourneau's story.
"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 said. "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."
Haynes told TODAY.com in December that Gracie Atherton (Julianne Moore) and Joe Yoo's (Charles Melton) relationship in the film is based on Letourneau and Fualaau's story.
"Looking back at Mary Kay Letourneau's story and interviews really were of concrete help in trying to formulate that backstory, and Julianne really led that process."
To Fualaau's point, there are several similarities between him and May December's Joe. Joe was 13 when he started a relationship with Gracie, and Fualaau was 12 when he met Letourneau. Both men also fathered children that were born in prison as teens, and both married their respective abusers after they were released from prison for child rape.
Haynes, Melton, Moore and screenwriter Samy Burch have yet to comment on Fualaau's statement.
