Kim Alsup: what did Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story crew member say about working on Netflix series?

Kim Alsup worked as a crew member on Netflix limited true crime series Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story when it was filmed in Los Angeles from March-July 2021.

When a tailor for the series was released last month, more than a year after she worked on the production, Alsup decided to share her experience on Twitter.

Her tweets gained attention and she then spoke to the Los Angeles Times in more detail about what she went through at work.

Who is Kim Alsup?

Kim Alsup is a Black production assistant from Detroit who is currently living in Los Angeles.

Alsup has worked as a production assistant on Mixed-ish and Dear White People, and as a Covid testing coordinator on As We See It, Inventing Anna, and Grey’s Anatomy.

Most recently, she worked as a Covid testing coordinator on Netflix series Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, and has spoken out about her negative experiences on set.

What did Kim Alsup say about working on Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story?

Alsup took to Twitter following the release of the Monster trailer on 18 September to speak about her experience during the show’s production.

She tweeted:  “I worked on this project and I was 1 of 2 Black people on the crew and they kept calling me her name. We both had braids, she was dark skin and 5’10. I’m 5’5.

“Working on this took everything I had as I was treated horribly. I look at the Black female lead differently now too.”

She told the Los Angeles Times that she does not want to watch the show that she worked on - she said: “I just feel like it’s going to bring back too many memories of working on it. I don’t want to have these PTSD types of situations.

“The trailer itself gave me PTSD, which is why I ended up writing that tweet and I didn’t think that anybody was going to read.”

She said that Dahmer was “one of the worst shows that I’ve ever worked on” adding: “I was always being called someone else’s name, the only other Black girl who looked nothing like me, and I learned the names for 300 background extras.”

Alsup also said that the lack of mental health coordinators led to an unsupportive work environment for the crew.

Has Netflix responded to Kim Alsup’s allegations?

Netflix declined to comment regarding Alsup’s claims about the number of Black crew members and the work environment which she described.

A spokesperson for the streaming platform said that all crew members are provided with access to free health and wellness resources, including a licensed therapist.

What is Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story about?

Ironically, a major theme in Monster is that of systemic racism in American society and the police force which enabled Dahmer to continue his killing spree for years before he was eventually caught. The majority of Dahmer’s 17 victims were Black and non-white men.

The series stars Evan Peters as Jeffrey Dahmer and Richard Jenkins as his father Lionel. It also features Black actors Niecy Nash and Michael Beach in supporting roles.