Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.
Netflix’s Tell Them You Love Me documentary chronicles the case of Anna Stubblefield, her ex-husband Roger Stubblefield, and lover Derrick Johnson. Anna was a Rutgers University-Newark professor before her 2015 conviction on sexual assault. The charge stemmed because of her extramarital affair with Derrick, a nonverbal man with cerebral palsy. The documentary premiered on the streaming service on June 14, 2024.
Anna Stubblefield reportedly met Derrick Johnson in 2009 while married to her now ex-husband, Roger Stubblefield. Roger, a black professional tuba player and classical composer, and Anna shared two children. The couple’s divorce was the result of Anna’s extramarital affair with Derrick and the subsequent criminal trial. She served 22 months in prison of a 12-year prison sentence.
Who are Anna Stubblefield and her ex-husband Roger Stubblefield’s children?
According to The New York Times, Anna Stubblefield and her ex-husband Roger share two children, a daughter and a son. The former couple married in June 1989, and their son, whose identity remains unknown, was born six years later. After a few years, their daughter Zoe was born and later spoke at Anna’s sentencing in 2016. She was reportedly 16 years old at the time.
TODAY noted that Anna Stubblefield stood trial in 2015 for having a sexual relationship with Derrick Johnson. The two first met in 2009 when Anna was a married mother-of-two and a professor of philosophy at Rutgers University in New Jersey. The 41-year-old was introduced to Derrick, then 30, through his brother John, who was taking a course under her. John had watched the Autism Is a World documentary in Anna’s class.
The Standard stated that John approached Anna, wanting to know if Derrick, a nonverbal man with cerebral palsy, could learn to communicate using facilitated communication. It is a method nonverbal individuals use to “communicate by pointing to keyboards or devices, their arm being guided or supported by a facilitator.”
Anna Stubblefield began working with Derrick Johnson to help him with facilitated communication. The two developed a close relationship over two years that eventually turned sexual. They informed Derrick’s family about their relationship in 2011.
John described the situation in the Tell Them You Love Me documentary trailer. He said, “We all sit down and there just seemed to be this awkwardness. She grabs Derrick’s hand and on the keyboard comes up, ‘We are in love.'” Derrick’s mother, Daisy, added that Anna said they “have made love” and called him “a man in every sense of the word.”
Derrick Johnson’s family believes Anna Stubblefield “raped” the non-verbal man. However, Derrick, via facilitated communication, revealed to his family that Anna did not take “advantage” of him. He added that he was “trying to seduce Anna for years, and she resisted valiantly.” Anna also maintained that their relationship was true love.
Throughout this time, Anna Stubblefield remained together with her husband, Roger Stubblefield. However, their marriage had soured over the years and they eventually divorced. Moreover, after the tense meeting with Derrick’s family, Anna left John voicemail messages to convince him of their love. In the messages, she said, “I will put in writing, prick my finger and sign with blood — whatever makes you reassured that this is for real.” Anna added that she would “leave my husband, and I will make a permanent life and home with Derrick.”
In 2015, Anna Stubblefield stood a sexual assault trial, which resulted in her conviction. The following year, she received a 12-year prison sentence. During her sentence, her 16-year-old daughter Zoe spoke in her defense, calling her a “very good person.” Zoe also alleged that her father and Anna’s ex-husband, Roger Stubblefield, had been abusive to them. The teen claimed that this is why her mother “ran off with a disabled man to begin with.”
Anna Stubblefield served only 22 months before an appellate court overturned her conviction. She now remains out of the spotlight.
Tell Them You Love Me first premiered on Sky network and is now streaming on Netflix.
