The Zephany Nurse family have distanced themselves from a Netflix series "Blood& Water" that appears to be based on their lives.
The globally trending streaming show, "Blood & Water", has become a hot topic on social media after viewers and film critics noticed a likeness between the storyline to the real-life kidnapping saga of Zephany Nurse, now known as Miché Solomons.
The six-part series, which was shot in Cape Town and stars local actors, was released on Netflix on 20 May.
It is about a 16-year-old girl Puleng Khumalo (Ama Qamata) who goes to extremes to find her missing 17-year-old sister Fikile Bhele (played by Khosi Ngema), who was abducted at birth from a hospital.
Just like the Nurses, the fictional family also celebrates the birthday of the missing girl every year with a huge cake, until she is found at the age of 17.
Zephany was just three days old on 30 April 1997 when Lavona Solomon stole her from her mother Celeste Nurse’s side, while they were sleeping in a ward at Groote Schuur Hospital.
The sensational story of her reunion with her biological family and the kidnapping trial of her “mother” made headlines around the world.
But Miché, now 23, and her father Morné Nurse say despite the striking similarities to their lives, no one from Gambit, the producers, or Netflix consulted with them about the series.
Miché posted on Facebook: “Beautiful and well done. We have been receiving tons of questions around Blood & Water, that there are so much similarities to our lives and story.
“Is it our personal story? Did we give permission? Unfortunately no, we were not made aware of it at the time and had no involvement in Blood & Water.”
Dad Morné says they have no involvement in the making of the film and called it “a fantasy”.
“It’s not the Nurses’ story, we have no relations or connection to the movie called 'Blood & Water', it’s a nice try, well constructed, but not our story though.
“The Nurses’ true life story is still to come and 'Blood & Water' was inspired by tabloids and media tales, same with a book called A Home for Zephany.
“Unfortunately for Gambit films it’s not the true life story of our story, but a mere fiction taken off tabloids and newspapers. A fantasy put together merely for entertainment.
“Zephany Nurse the name has NO CONNECTION WHATSOEVER.”
The Daily Voice contacted Gambit and Netflix to ask if they had consulted with Miché and the Nurses about the show.
According to them, the family is aware of the show, but they wouldn’t clarify if this was before or after it started streaming on Netflix.
They also denied the show was based on the Nurses’ lives.
In a statement, they said: “Zephany Nurse and her family are aware of the show - however our show creators centred their story around a 16-year-old girl who engineers her transfer to a new and prestigious high school in Cape Town when she learns of a 17-year-old girl whom she suspects might be her sister who was kidnapped at birth.
“This is a dramatised and heightened fictional story that revolves around Puleng’s quest to discover the truth - and the teenagers whose lives are touched by this journey with the backdrop of Cape Town, South Africa not seen before.”