Adolescence creator hits back at concerning misinformation shared by Elon Musk about Netflix show

The creator of Netflix hit Adolescence has shut down the 'absurd' claims regarding the show being shared online by the likes of Elon Musk.

Adolescence has been one of the most talked-about shows since it dropped on Netflix earlier this month, and it shows no signs of slowing down as it remains number one on the streaming platform's Top 10 Global Shows.

In case you haven't seen it, the show focuses on 13-year-old Jamie Miller (Owen Cooper), who is arrested on suspicion of murdering his classmate, Katie.

However, it's more than a murder case as it explores the deeper impact of toxic masculinity under the ever-growing 'manosphere' online on young boys - and everyone and anyone putting on their analysis caps to deep-dive into certain aspects of the show.

While actor Stephen Graham, who stars as Jamie's father in the show, has opened up about how knife crime amongst young people was part of the inspiration for the show's plot, both he and co-creator, Jack Thorne, have made it clear that it isn't based on a singular story.

However, some on social media are insisting the opposite.

Last week, one X account made the unfounded accusation that Adolescence is based on the horrific Southport attacks which saw three young girls tragically murdered by Axel Rudakubana last year, and that the show's creators allegedly decided to 'race-swap' the main character as part of 'anti-white propaganda'.

This post was then responded to by Elon Musk, who shared it while simply writing: "Wow."

While many online criticised both the account and Musk for pushing 'reckless' misinformation, writer Thorne has also criticised these claims.

Adolescence has raised a lot of questions about the impact of social media on kids, particularly young boys (Netflix)

Speaking on The News Agents podcast, he said (via The Independent): "They’ve claimed that Stephen and I based it on a story, and another story, so we race-swapped because we were basing it on here and it ended up there, and everything else. Nothing is further from the truth.

"I have told a lot of real-life stories in my time. I know the harm that can come when you take elements of a real-life story, and you put it on screen, and the people aren’t expecting it.

"There is no part of this that’s based on a true story, not one single part."

Elon Musk shared the inaccurate claims on X, a move which earned him a bit of criticism (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Thorne went on to further criticise the view that knife crime is only caused by 'Black boys', adding: "That it should have been a Black boy? It's absurd to say that [knife crime] is only committed by Black boys.

"It’s absurd. It's not true. And history shows a lot of cases of kids from all races committing these crimes.

"We’re not making a point about race with this. We are making a point about masculinity. We’re trying to get inside a problem. We’re not saying this is one thing or another. We’re saying this is about boys."