Nona Gaprindashvili sued Netflix for defamation, seeking USD 5 million in damages over a false statement about her in the fictional series The Queen’s Gambit, writes Forbes.

The final episode of The Queen’s Gambit includes a line from an announcer who describes Gaprindashvili as “the female world champion and has never faced men”.

The lawsuit, obtained by Deadline, says the dialog is “false” and “sexist and belittling”, because Gaprindashvili beat some of the “best male chess players in the world” and was the first woman to achieve the status of international chess grandmaster.

The lawsuit claims Netflix was aware of this information but “deliberately lied” about her achievements for the “cheap and cynical” purpose of making the show’s fictional protagonist Beth Harmon, played by actress Anya Taylor-Joy, appear groundbreaking.

Netflix said in a statement to Forbes, the company has the “utmost respect for Ms. Gaprindashvili and her illustrious career”, however they “believe this claim has no merit” and they will “vigorously defend the case”.