Hi all, I am a writer, director, producer putting together a feature film loosely based on my experiences (which I am open about, as I feel it aids in the film’s success). The film depicts a couple who attempts non-monogamy and ultimately breaks up. It is not an exact account of what happened in my life, but there are certainly parallels. The main character is clearly a fictionalized version of me and it is an obvious logical inference that the character of his girlfriend is based on my ex-wife. Again, the character shares similarities to my ex, but it’s not an exact analogue. What—if any—legal recourse would my ex have once the film gets made, if I do not have her consent? What could I do to protect against this?

Tl;dr Making a film inspired by my life. Do I need my ex’s permission to show character loosely based on her?

Ty!!