The acclaimed FX series ‘Say Nothing’ is facing a defamation lawsuit filed by Marian Price, a figure depicted in the show. This article explores the details of the case and its implications.
Disney Faces Defamation Lawsuit Over FX Series ‘Say Nothing’
The acclaimed FX series Say Nothing has recently garnered significant recognition, winning a Peabody Award, a USC Scripter Award, and receiving an Emmy nomination. However, the series is now facing legal challenges as Marian Price, a former Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) volunteer portrayed in the show by Hazel Doupe, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Disney.
Details of the Lawsuit
Filed on July 2 in the Dublin High Court, Price’s complaint specifically targets the series’ ninth and final episode, alleging it inaccurately depicts her as responsible for the execution-style murder of a mother of ten in Belfast, claiming she shot the victim in the back of the head.
Price is seeking damages and an injunction to prevent Disney and Minim UK Productions Limited from making further defamatory statements. Additionally, she demands the removal of a crucial scene in the ninth episode that shows her, now known as Marian McGlinchey, committing the alleged execution.
Background of the Case
This legal action was anticipated, as Price hinted at a lawsuit shortly after the series premiered in late 2024. An attorney from Price’s law firm, Phoenix Law, remarked, “Given the context, it is difficult to envisage a more egregious allegation than the one leveled against our client.”
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Disney for a comment regarding the lawsuit.
About the FX Series
Say Nothing is based on the 2019 nonfiction book by Patrick Radden Keefe, which delves into the sectarian violence of Northern Ireland known as the Troubles. The book investigates the murder of Jean McConville, who was abducted by Irish Republicans in 1972 and later killed, accused of being an informant for the British Army. McConville became one of the “Disappeared,” a group of individuals believed to have been murdered by Republican militants.
Radden Keefe details the efforts of McConville’s orphaned children to locate her remains and seek justice, while also chronicling the radicalization of sisters Marian and Dolours Price, who became Provisional IRA volunteers. The author ultimately claims that Price fired the shot that killed McConville.
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McConville’s remains were discovered on a beach in Ireland in 2003. A police ombudsman investigation in 2006 concluded that she did not provide information to the British Army.
Although Price did not comment for the book, she has publicly denied its allegations.
Impact of the Series
Upon its premiere in 2024, Say Nothing sparked significant discussion in Northern Ireland, receiving both praise and criticism for revisiting a sensitive topic. Sectarian divisions remain prevalent in Northern Ireland, which is still part of the U.K., and four members of the Disappeared have yet to be located. Earlier this year, The Belfast Telegraph reported that new information regarding the Disappeared has emerged as a result of the series.
Price is notably recognized for her involvement in the Provisional IRA bomb attack on London’s Old Bailey in 1973. Alongside her sister Dolours, she undertook a hunger strike during their imprisonment in England to demand a transfer to a Northern Ireland prison. After her release in 1980, Price pled guilty in 2013 to purchasing a cell phone later used by Real IRA members to claim responsibility for the shooting of two British soldiers.
