A court in Los Angeles has allowed a Georgian chess player to sue the Netflix streaming service for her portrayal in the hit series The Queen's Gambit.
Federal Judge Virginia Phillips reasoned that "the fact that the series is a work of fiction does not relieve Netflix of liability for defamation."
Nona Gaprindashvili sued Netflix for five million dollars (4.24 million euros) in damages in the fall.
According to the complaint, which Gaprindashvili filed with the California state court, the portrayal of her person was "sexist and derogatory".
A character's claim that the Georgian has never played against men in chess tournaments is "provenly false".
Most successful mini series ever
The 80-year-old had played against dozens of male competitors in 1968, the year in which the series is also set.
To make matters worse, Gaprindashvili was described in the "Queen's Gambit" as Russian instead of Georgian.
Netflix's lawyers had tried to dismiss the lawsuit on the grounds that the series was a work of fiction and was therefore protected by freedom of expression.
However, Judge Phillips ruled Thursday that this fact does not relieve Netflix of liability.
The Queen's Gambit is Netflix's highest-grossing mini-series.
According to the streaming service, 62 million households watched the story of fictional chess genius Beth Harmon in the first 28 days alone.
The series, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, skyrocketed chessboard sales worldwide.