Oscar Pistorius's family has threatened legal action just days after the TV channel Lifetime released a trailer for its movie about the Olympian, who is currently serving a six-year sentence for the fatal shooting of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
A statement posted online by the Pistorius family railed against Lifetime's Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer, claiming it is not an accurate representation of what happened and was not made in cooperation with the family.
"The 'film' was made with blatant disregard of both the Steenkamp and Pistorius families, as well as complete disregard for Reeva and Oscar," read the statement from Oscar's brother, Carl. "The 'film' is not a true reflection of what happened on the day of this tragedy and the subsequent trial of the matter."
The minute-long trailer for the film briefly tracks the relationship between Pistorius and Steenkamp, as well as his trial. Flashes of text in the trailer read "heart of a champion" and "mind of a killer."
The statement suggests the movie—which has not yet been released—portrays the prosecution's argument rather than a complete version of what happened. "Oscar was subjected to in-depth assessment and on-going tests almost daily for a month long; at no stage was Oscar found to have the mind of a killer," read the statement. "The 'film' is a gross misrepresentation of the truth.... We will be taking legal action."
Pistorius was sent back to prison in the summer of 2016 after his charges were upgraded from manslaughter to murder on appeal. The Telegraph reported at the time that it was likely he would serve about three years before being released. Pistorius shot Steenkamp in their home, through a bathroom door, apparently believing she was an intruder.
"Murder is always a very serious crime. The fact that the accused thought it was an intruder does not make it less serious," said Judge Thokozile Masipa in her sentencing of the South African runner, according to The Telegraph.
Pistorius's story captivated the world as the South African sprinter—a double-amputee running on so-called blade prosthetics—accomplished feats many thought impossible. He made it all the way to the semifinals of the 200-meter sprint in the 2012 Olympic Games. The killing happened the next year.
The Steenkamp family has slammed the Lifetime film as well. The parents said in a statement that they were not involved in the film and "any impression that is created that this is June's [Reeva's mother] view, or that this is endorsed by the Steenkamp family, is untrue and incorrect."
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