Is Audrie and Daisy based on a True Story? Learn the details about the Netflix film

The 2016 Netflix documentary film Audrie and Daisy, reveals a very dark side of human nature. It was helmed by documentary filmmaker, husband-and-wife duo Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk. Audrie and Daisy narrate the story of two teenage girls Daisy Coleman and Audrie Pott who were sexually assaulted.

At the time of the film’s making and release, Audrie Pott was no longer alive, as she had committed suicide following her assault. Sadly, 23-year-old Daisy Coleman also passed away by suicide on August 4, 2020. 

Read | What happened to Daisy Coleman? Assault survivor found dead at 23; Details here

Is Audrie and Daisy based on a true story?

The Netflix documentary is based on two real sexual assault cases involving two teenage girls. According to Audrie and Daisy, in September 2012, 15-year-old Audrie Pott was unconscious at a party, when three 16-year-old boys drew pornographic messages on her body. They digitally penetrated the teen and took several photographs, which were then shared among classmates. 

In the days following the party, Audrie Pott knew only that something bad had happened to her, but her memories were all fuzzy. She begged her classmates to fill her in about what had occurred. Pott wanted to know who had the photos of her. Shortly after the incident, the 15-year-old committed suicide.

Read | Daisy Coleman, assault survivor in Netflix film 'Audrie & Daisy', dies by suicide at 23

Daisy Coleman passed away: What happened to Daisy Coleman?

According to the documentary, in January 2012, Daisy Coleman who was 14 at the time, and her 13-year-old friend Paige Parkhurst snuck out of a sleepover at Daisy’s house to go to a party. At the party, both the girls were sexually assaulted by Daisy’s brother Charlie Coleman’s older friends. Daisy Coleman was unconscious during her assault by then 17-year-old student-athlete Matthew Barnett.

The assault was filmed by one of the perpetrators and was reportedly shared among classmates. The documentary reveals that, after the assault, the boys returned the girls to Daisy’s home. While 13-year-old Paige made it inside, 14-year-old Daisy was left lying unconscious on her front lawn in the cold, with only a t-shirt on her body. Her mother Melinda Coleman, had found her the next morning.

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Audrie and Daisy reveal, that the prime accused in Daisy Coleman’s case was Matthew Barnett, the grandson of a former Republican state representative. Barnett’s charges were reportedly reduced from sexual assault to misdemeanour count of child endangerment. He was sentenced to two years of probation and a four-month suspended jail term. 

The Netflix documentary revealed, that Daisy Coleman received a lot of backlash from her community following her assault. Her mother Melinda Coleman lost her job as a veterinarian in town. Her family home was set on fire and they were forced to move out of Maryville entirely. 

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Is Daisy Coleman dead?

According to the reports of The Rolling Stone Magazine, Daisy Coleman died by suicide on August 4, 2020, at the age of 23. Coleman had attended Missouri Valley College and became a tattoo artist. She had also started her own organisation SafeBAE, an organization dedicated to ending sexual assault of middle school and high school students.