Brett Favre's complicated legacy faces the spotlight in new Netflix documentary
Brett Favre's story gets a long look in Netflix's 'Untold' series
Brett Favre's life has never been simple. From NFL glory to public disgrace, the football star's journey is filled with both triumph and controversy. Netflix's latest entry in the
Untold
sports docuseries,
The Fall of Favre
, airing Tuesday, May 20, promises an unflinching look at the man behind the jersey.
Directed by Emmy-winning filmmaker Rebecca Gitlitz, the one-hour documentary follows Favre's meteoric rise from his Southern Mississippi roots to becoming a Green Bay Packers legend, and eventually, a name mired in scandal.
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Gitlitz, who has a reputation for tackling difficult subjects, approached the Favre story with the same sense of layered complexity she brought to her previous work on Rudy Giuliani. 'This is a story that is very much in the zeitgeist,' she said. 'People thought they knew it, but there's a lot more to unpack.'
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From gridiron glory to public scandal
Favre's NFL career needs little introduction. A Super Bowl champion and three-time MVP, he played for the Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, and Minnesota Vikings. He was revered as a 'gunslinger' quarterback and beloved in his home state of Mississippi, with fame rivaling that of Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods in their prime.
But Favre's reputation has been clouded in recent years. The film dives into the sexual harassment allegations brought by Jenn Sterger, a former Jets employee. She claims Favre, who was married at the time, sent her unwanted messages and explicit images in 2008.
Gitlitz stressed the importance of Sterger's voice in the documentary. 'Had she been listened to, had her narrative been told, I don't think we would be sitting here today,' she said. 'We tried to give her back her voice in a way that I think she deserved.'
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The
Mississippi welfare scandal
and legal trouble
No Favre story today is complete without addressing the Mississippi welfare scandal.
Untold: The Fall of Favre
lays out the former quarterback's alleged role in the misallocation of state funds intended for low-income families. The scandal centers on the funneling of money toward a volleyball stadium at Southern Miss, where Favre's daughter played.
Though Favre denies any wrongdoing, he remains a defendant in a civil lawsuit. Gitlitz said she spent 'two, three years' on the film, tracing the scandal back to 2020, when texts and financial ties to companies like Prevacus began surfacing.
'It was a series of how do we put this all together,' she said. 'That's when we found the pain cream, then we found Jenn Sterger, then we found Oak Grove.'
Gitlitz noted the legal challenges in securing sources for the film, especially due to the ongoing civil litigation. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anna Wolfe, who reported the story extensively, could not participate.
Favre declines to participate in the film
While Gitlitz attempted to present a balanced portrait, Brett Favre declined to appear in the film or have legal representation speak on his behalf.
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'We gave him the opportunity. We asked him. We asked his lawyers,' she said. 'Of course, I would've loved to have him be a part of it, that's just the way things go.'
Despite Favre's absence, the documentary strives to offer a comprehensive view of both his sports legacy and his alleged misdeeds. 'There are numerous narratives that need to be unpacked here, and I went for all sides of the story,' Gitlitz added.
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