The Manhattan Alien Abduction: 5 Shocking New Details From The Netflix Docuseries And The Linda Napolitano Lawsuit

The Manhattan Alien Abduction case, often called the "Alien Abduction Case of the Century," has been dramatically thrust back into the global spotlight following the release of a major Netflix docuseries in late 2024. This infamous event, which allegedly saw a New York City housewife levitate from her 12th-floor apartment into a UFO on November 30, 1989, is being re-examined with fresh scrutiny and new, controversial testimonies. The renewed interest in this 35-year-old case is so intense that the central figure, Linda Napolitano, has reportedly taken legal action against the streaming giant, claiming the documentary misrepresents her story and the facts surrounding the extraterrestrial encounter.

The original investigation, spearheaded by renowned ufologist Budd Hopkins, claimed an unprecedented number of witnesses—up to 23 people—saw the event unfold near the Brooklyn Bridge. Now, the 2024 docuseries, titled The Manhattan Alien Abduction, has not only revisited the core claims but also introduced new, skeptical voices, including those close to Hopkins himself, providing a complex and fresh perspective on one of ufology's most compelling and contested narratives.

Linda Napolitano (Cortile): A Profile of the Abductee

The woman at the center of the Manhattan Alien Abduction case is Linda Napolitano, who was initially identified in ufology circles by the pseudonym Linda Cortile to protect her privacy. Her profile is central to understanding the magnitude of the 1989 event.

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• Full Name: Linda Napolitano (also known as Linda Cortile).
• Role in the Case: The primary claimant in the 1989 abduction case; a New York City housewife living in a 12th-floor apartment on the East Side of Manhattan.
• Date of Alleged Abduction: November 30, 1989.
• The Extraterrestrial Claim: She claims she was levitated from her bedroom window, over the Manhattan skyline, and into a waiting UFO by three small, grey bipedal beings.
• Prior Encounters: Napolitano claimed this was not her first encounter with extraterrestrials.
• Investigator: Her case was the subject of an extensive, multi-year investigation by the late ufologist and artist, Budd Hopkins.
• Current Status (2025): She continues to stand by her story and has reportedly filed a lawsuit against Netflix over the portrayal of her story in the 2024 documentary series.

The 1989 Incident: The Abduction Witnessed by 'Richard and Dan'

The reason the Manhattan Alien Abduction gained the title "Case of the Century" was the sheer volume and alleged credibility of its witnesses. Budd Hopkins, who detailed the case in his 1996 book, Witnessed: The True Story of the Brooklyn Bridge UFO Abductions, claimed to have corroborated the event with multiple independent witnesses.

The Core Claim: Levitation Over Manhattan

According to Napolitano's testimony, recovered under hypnosis, she woke up in the middle of the night to find three small, grey aliens in her bedroom. She claims she was then levitated out of her sealed window, floating over the streets of Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge area toward a large, silent UFO. The beings, often described as Grey Aliens, then reportedly pulled her into the craft through a beam of light.

The Controversial Witnesses

The most compelling, yet controversial, element of the case involves two key witnesses, referred to by the pseudonyms "Richard and Dan." Hopkins claimed these men were part of a high-level security detail, possibly for a former UN Secretary-General, who were driving in the area near the Brooklyn Bridge at the time of the incident.

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• The Testimony: Richard and Dan allegedly saw a woman (Napolitano) floating in the air, being lifted towards a massive, triangular UFO hovering over the East River. They claimed to have stopped their car and watched the entire event unfold.
• The Connection: Crucially, Napolitano later claimed that Richard and Dan were not just witnesses but were, in fact, "Men in Black" figures who later abducted her themselves while she was walking down the street. This shift in her testimony added a layer of complexity and suspicion to the entire narrative.

The involvement of high-ranking political figures or security personnel made the case a sensation, suggesting a potential government cover-up or high-level awareness of the UFO sightings in NYC.

The 5 Shocking New Details and Skeptical Rebuttals from the 2024 Docuseries

The 2024 Netflix documentary, The Manhattan Alien Abduction, has revitalized the conversation by presenting both the compelling details of Hopkins' investigation and the powerful arguments of the skeptics, many of whom were close to the original researcher. This fresh perspective is what makes the case so current and controversial today.

1. The Cherry-Picking Allegation: The docuseries features testimony from Carol Rainey, Budd Hopkins' ex-wife and a former collaborator. Rainey claims that Hopkins was not the unbiased investigator he claimed to be. She alleges that he "cherry-picked compelling details" from Napolitano's accounts while consciously ignoring or downplaying any information that contradicted the abduction hypothesis.
2. The 'Half-Breed' Memory Change: A key skeptical point raised is the evolution of Napolitano's story. Critics point out that her memories, recovered under hypnosis, began to include claims of alien-human 'half-breeds' and genetic experimentation only after she became aware of Hopkins' personal theory that this was the aliens' primary motivation. This suggests a potential case of false memory syndrome or investigator bias influencing the subject's recollection.
3. The Witness Credibility Collapse: The documentary re-examines the testimony of the 20+ witnesses. While many of the witnesses' initial statements were compelling, several later recanted their stories, including a key witness named "Stefula." The docuseries highlights the difficulty in verifying the identity and credibility of the alleged UN security detail, Richard and Dan, further eroding the foundation of the 'witnessed' claim.
4. The Ongoing Lawsuit Against Netflix: In a major, current development, Linda Napolitano has reportedly sued Netflix over the portrayal of her story in the 2024 series. She asserts that the documentary is sensationalized and does not accurately reflect her experiences or the evidence presented in the original investigation. This legal battle keeps the case in the news and forces a public debate on the documentary's accuracy and journalistic integrity.
5. The Ambiguity of the Implant Evidence: Hopkins claimed to have found evidence of a possible alien implant in Napolitano, a small metallic object visible on an X-ray. The docuseries revisits this purported evidence, showing how modern medical and scientific analysis views such claims with deep skepticism, often attributing them to common medical anomalies or simple artifacts. This re-evaluation undermines one of the physical pieces of "proof" in the case.

The Legacy of the Manhattan Abduction in Ufology

Despite the decades of controversy and the recent skeptical spotlight from the Netflix docuseries, the Manhattan Alien Abduction remains a cornerstone of modern ufology and alien abduction research. The case is an essential study of both the phenomenon itself and the complex relationship between ufologists, abductees, and the public.

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For believers, the sheer number of alleged witnesses, the detail in Napolitano's testimony, and the efforts by Budd Hopkins to corroborate the story make it a powerful example of extraterrestrial contact. For skeptics, the case serves as a textbook example of how a highly suggestive environment—such as repeated hypnosis sessions conducted by a researcher with a strong pre-existing belief—can lead to the creation of elaborate, but ultimately unreliable, confabulated memories and extraterrestrial narratives. The 2024 docuseries ensures that the debate over what truly happened on that cold night in November 1989, near the Brooklyn Bridge, will continue to captivate and divide audiences for years to come.