Does Leanne take inspiration from true events? Details from the latest Netflix comedy, explored 

The recent release of Netflix's sitcom Leanne has led the Internet to speculate that the show is inspired by true events, from the life of comedian Leanne Morgan, who co-creates and stars in the sitcom as its namesake protagonist.

The speculations are also running wild because the sitcom follows the titular middle-aged woman after she is left by her husband for another woman, after 33 years of their marriage.

For anybody wondering if Leanne is based on true events, the answer is no. Morgan is happily married, and the sitcom is a fictional and highly dramatized version of her life.

Co-creator Chuck Lorre, the King of sitcoms and the mind behind The Big Bang Theory and Roseanne, approached Morgan with the idea of a sitcom after her breakout role in Prime Video’s You’re Cordially Invited, and the rest is history.

The official synopsis for the Netflix show reads as follows:

“Leanne’s life takes an unexpected turn when her husband of 33 years leaves her for another woman. Starting over when you’re a grandmother and in menopause isn’t exactly what she had in mind, but with the help of her family she will navigate this new chapter with grace, dignity and jello salad.''

So, is the show really inspired by Morgan's life, and what is the truth behind her marriage? Here's everything you need to know.

Is Netflix's Leanne a true story about its namesake protagonist?

While Leanne is a highly dramatized version of Morgan's life, and she plays her eponymous character in the show, the protagonist is just a version of the comedian.

In reality, Morgan has been happily married to her husband, Chuck Morgan, for more than three decades. Morgan is a comedian who has been doing stand-up for 25 years. After her breakout role in Nicholas Stoller's romantic comedy film, Lorre approached her with an idea about a sitcom.

Unlike her sitcom counterpart, Morgan married her husband in 1993, and the couple has three children together- Charlie, Maggie, and Tess. However, in the show, Morgan's character is married to Ryan Stiles' Bill, who leaves her after 33 years of marriage. She has two children with Bill- Tyler (Graham Rogers) and Josie (Hannah Pilkes).

While Morgan did not deal with her husband's betrayal and heartbreak in real life, thankfully, the show explores how Leanne navigates her life after her husband drops this truth bomb.

Netflix's latest comedy series created confusion among Morgan's fans

While Leanne is not based on true events, her fans likely mistook the namesake sitcom as autobiographical, and understandably so. Despite being fictional, the show is rife with Morgan's experience as a married woman with children and her signature humour about aging parents and midlife indignities.

However, some of these misunderstandings went overboard as Morgan's fans deeply speculated about her married life when the show was announced, as she recalled while talking to Glamour Magazine:

“When the show was first announced, people would go, ‘I knew he couldn’t handle her success. Chuck can’t handle her making money.'” “He’ll say, ‘people think we’re getting a divorce. You need to get on there and tell them otherwise.'”

She added:

“At first I was like, ‘I’m not divorced,’ but I don’t want it to be based on my real life...I also think that even if women are not going through a divorce, it’s important to know it’s never too late for anything. This character pulls her bootstraps up and moves on and her life isn’t over and she’s desirable.”

Leanne is now streaming on Netflix.

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