Sex, Lies & Scandal Dethrones Baby Reindeer

Baby Reindeer has finally been dethroned on Netflix by Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal – a spicy documentary about the dating website scandal that involved some high-profile celebs. Ashley Madison, a website famous for encouraging married people to have an affair, had all their client files released to the public on August 18, 2015, after being targeted by a hacker. 

There’s been so much buzz about Bridgerton season three – but much less fanfare for this new documentary series, which is a crime. The show hit number one in Australia within 24 hours of release – a massive achievement since Baby Reindeer held that spot for weeks. If this piques your interest, we’ve got all the details about the show below.

What is Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandal about? 

The three-episode docuseries is about Ashley Madison’s rise and dramatic fall after the 2015 breach. Filmmakers have interviewed ex-employees, such as former creative director Marc Morgenstern who is also the brother of co-founder Darren Morgenstern, ex-V.P of sales and more. Christian Vlogger Sam Rader also appears on the show, giving some insight into his decision to use Ashley Madison to cheat on his wife Nia Rader. 

Ashley Madison’s tagline became well-known. (Image: Getty)

When can you watch Ashley Madison: Sex, Lies & Scandals and is there a trailer? 

All three episodes are now streaming on Netflix, so you can binge away to your heart’s content! Here’s the trailer:

What happened in the Ashley Madison data breach? 

In 2015, the company claimed it had 37 million users and was available in over 40 countries. However, everything came crashing down when a hacker group called The Impact Team gained access to the clientele files. 

The Impact Group offered Ashley Madison an ultimatum: take the site offline, or they would release the names of everybody who was using the service. While Ashley Madison attempted to track down the hacker, the group released the first batch of clientele files. Two days later, The Impact Group shared even more data, which revealed CEO Noel Biderman was also engaging in extramarital affairs. The hackers have never been found. 

What has the director said about the show?

In an interview with the New York Post, director Toby Paton said they spoke to a cyber expert for the show, saying it was “fascinating”. 

“It’s extremely unusual to have a sophisticated and high-profile [hack] and have the person who did it have never done anything before and never do anything since. It really seemed like it was a one-off,” he said. 

He believes the person responsible was connected to Ashley Madison in some capacity, “and had some kind of inside knowledge of how the company worked. But beyond that, I really don’t think anybody knows… whoever did it has done an extraordinarily good job of keeping their head down.”

Michelle ‘Bombshell’ McGee lives up to her nickname and drops some massive bombshells in the show. (Image: Netflix)

Which celebrities were exposed in the Ashley Madison data breach?

High-profile celebrities revealed as Ashley Madison users include Sam Rader, a Christian vlogger who cheated on his wife using the website. The couple are still together, after working through their issues.

Sam and Nia are still together. (Image: Netflix)

19 Kids and Counting reality star Josh Duggar was also outed as being a user of the website. He’s since been sent to prison for child pornography charges, so you know, he really wasn’t that great of a guy to begin with. 

Real Housewives of New York City’s Kristen Taekman is still with her husband Josh Taekman, even after he used Ashley Madison. 

At the time, he said: “I signed up for the site foolishly and ignorantly with a group of friends and I deeply apologise for any embarrassment or pain I have brought to my wife or family. We both look forward to moving past this and getting on with our lives.”

Jersey Shore’s Nicole ‘Snooki’ Polizzi stood by her husband Jionni LaValle after his name was included in the data breach. 

At the time she denied he was an active user of the website, saying: “I’m lucky if he knows how to even use a computer, [let alone] go on Ashley Madison to cheat on me… it’s so stupid, and we honestly think someone is trying to fuck with us because this isn’t the first story that Jionni’s been cheating on me. But all these stories never have evidence.”

Is Ashley Madison still around today? 

Surprisingly, yes, and it’s bigger than ever. Toronto company Ruby Life now owns Ashley Madison, and in a 2020 report, claimed the website for cheaters has over 70 million members. 

Guess these new users haven’t heard of that classic saying. Fool me once, shame on me…