Ben Stiller Stands by ‘Escape at Dannemora’ Amid Criticism From Joyce Mitchell

AceShowbiz –Ben Stiller has no hard feelings towards one of the real-life subjects of his TV series “Escape at Dannemora” after she hit out at her portrayal onscreen.

“Escape at Dannemora” chronicles the true story of two inmates who escaped from the Clinton Correctional Facility in New York in 2015 with the help of prison staffmember Joyce Mitchell.

She was convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison for helping them break free, and at the time, it was reported that the seamstress became involved with the men’s plot because she was having sex with both inmates.

Mitchell is now hitting back at the claims about her private life by attacking Stiller, who directed the show, insisting there is no truth to the rumours.

“I never had sex with them,” she told the New York Post’s Page Six. “Ben Stiller is a son-of-a-b**ch liar just like the rest of the world. He doesn’t care about the truth. All he cares about is making millions off me. He’s an idiot.”

Mitchell alleges she bought the saw that helped convicted killers David Sweat and Richard Matt escape because she was afraid of them: “At that point, I had to do it,” she says. “I was stupid. They took advantage of my kindness. I wish I could take it all back. If I had to do it over, I would have told somebody.”

However, Stiller insists he did extensive research into the story and stands by his work.

“Look, that’s the story she has always told,” he tells Deadline of her defensive statements. “We did a year’s worth of research on the project… We got as much information as we could from the police reports, the interviews, and then we put together our story.

“We think it is a real representation of what went on. It’s not a documentary… My guideline was always to try and tell what I thought happened.”

“She can dispute it but the reality is, she was kicked out of the tailor shop (in the prison) for inappropriate conduct, for going in the back room with David Sweat,” Stiller adds. “I think there were 60 or 70 notes passed back and forth between them. She sent him nude pictures of herself. There are all sorts of things to indicate there was a relationship going on. That’s where we got that from….”

Patricia Arquette portrays Mitchell on TV and although the ex-prison employee isn’t happy with the show, critics are – “Escape at Dannemora” has scored two 2019 Golden Globe nominations, for Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television and Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television for Arquette, as well as another acting nod for the Boyhood star for the Screen Actors Guild Awards.

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