Fact can often prove far more riveting than fiction, as true stories have a tendency to completely defy our expectations -- even if we think we have heard a particular tale before. However, the problem with true stories (specifically recent true stories) is that they're often the most subjective, and therefore open for dispute. Such a scenario has once again reared its head, as the brother of JonBenet Ramsey is reportedly seeking to take legal action against CBS.
According to a new report from TMZ, it seems that JonBenet Ramsey's older brother, Burke Ramsey, is looking to file a defamation lawsuit against CBS after the recent premiere of the network's documentary series, The Case of: JonBenet Ramsey. He has reportedly decided to proceed with the lawsuit due to the CBS special suggesting it had determined what happened with JonBenet -- a conclusion which implicates him as the alleged murderer, and suggests that his parents covered up his guilt in order to protect him. Ramsey's argument seems to lean heavily on the claim that CBS allegedly misrepresented facts from the original murder case in an effort to present a more compelling (or at least more entertaining) narrative.
One interesting facet (and something Burke Ramsey may fall back on) is the simple fact that CBS only aired 2/3 of the originally planned documentary. Roughly a week before The Case of: JonBenet Ramsey was set to air, CBS announced that it would scale back the special and only broadcast four of the original six planned hours of content. As a documentary designed to completely reexamine the evidence in this high profile case, two missing hours seems like a fairly substantial amount of content to omit from the final broadcast.
Despite the imminent threat of litigation from Burke Ramsey, CBS remains committed to its take on the subject matter. As such, the network has announced that it's fully willing to defend itself if this lawsuit goes to court.
It's not surprising to see that the murder of JonBenet Ramsey has once again entered the public consciousness. Nowadays it seems like every network wants to get in on the action with a true crime story of their very own. Netflix has the controversial Steven Avery murder case with Making A Murderer, and FX has the dramatic recreation of the O.J. Simpson murder trial with The People vs. O.J. Simpson; The Case of: JonBenet Ramsey seems like a direct attempt to compete. Of course, guilty or not, this new development will likely only serve to get people even more interested in the 20-year-old murder case.
CinemaBlend will keep you up to date regarding all of the latest and greatest details related to this situation as more information becomes available to us. For now, make sure to check out our comprehensive fall TV premiere guide and fill out your television viewing schedules accordingly. Stay tuned for more details!
