Amanda Seyfried has found herself at the center of online backlash following her unexpected appearance in the new Elizabeth Holmes documentary, “You Can See Everything.”
The actress caught viewers off guard when she appeared alongside Nathan Fielder in the film, which chronicles the final 34 days before the disgraced Theranos founder began serving her prison sentence at Federal Prison Camp Bryan on May 30, 2023.
Seyfried, who famously portrayed Holmes in Hulu’s hit series “The Dropout,” revisited her connection to the convicted fraudster in the documentary, which premiered Oct. 16.
The film offers a closer look at Seyfried’s changing views on Holmes, including her thoughts on the former biotech executive’s personal life and relationship with Billy Evans.
In an unexpected twist, Seyfried once again stepped into Holmes’ shoes, helping Fielder reenact conversations he had with the Theranos founder after she entered prison.
Amanda Seyfried has come under fire from viewers over her behavior in Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary, “You Can See Everything.”
Throughout the film, Seyfried appeared to struggle with her growing sympathy for the disgraced Theranos founder, particularly after Holmes questioned how the actress depicted her in Hulu’s “The Dropout.”
“Amanda Seyfried defending Holmes as a victim of male manipulation until Holmes accused her of participating in a sensationalized version of the Theranos scandal and then flipping out about how it is just TV was a [sic] truly gross,” one X user wrote. “I hope she gets redragged for it.”
The criticism didn’t stop there, as other viewers accused Seyfried of backtracking on her sympathetic stance once the conversation turned to her own involvement in dramatizing the Theranos scandal for television.
Holmes began serving her prison sentence at Federal Prison Camp Bryan on May 30, 2023.
“Lots of ‘women protecting women’ posturing from her until she gets accused of perhaps also causing Elizabeth some degree of pain, after which she immediately deflects and starts engaging in female emotional manipulation by accusing Nathan of covering up for Elizabeth based on her ‘intuition,’” another X user wrote.
The backlash continued as another viewer slammed Seyfried for what they perceived as hypocrisy, claiming the documentary exposed a different side of the actress.
“This is maybe the number one reason why I loved ‘You Can See Everything.’ Seeing Amanda Seyfried for her true colors in full hypocrisy was such a cathartic feeling,” the viewer wrote. “It reminds me why we should never take people like her seriously.”
Amanda Seyfried portraying Elizabeth Holmes in Hulu’s “The Dropout.”
However, not everyone was quick to condemn Seyfried. Several viewers rushed to the actress’s defense, arguing that her shifting perspective on Holmes was far from hypocritical and instead reflected one of the documentary’s central themes.
“imagine walking away from this blaming amanda seyfried,” one X user wrote. “the point is, amanda herself changes her opinion on elizabeth holmes. so does nathan fielder. so does the audience. thats the literal point.”
Another viewer defended Seyfried’s willingness to examine her own actions, contrasting her self-reflection with what they perceived as Holmes’ lack of accountability.
“At no point in the movie does Elizabeth Holmes reckon with how anyone other than her was harmed by the downfall of Theranos. Amanda Seyfried earnestly reckons with the consequences of her actions even when she is (correctly) pretty sure she didn’t do anything wrong,” the viewer wrote.
Seyfried appeared to wrestle with her growing sympathy for Holmes throughout the documentary, even as the convicted fraudster questioned the actress’s portrayal of her in Hulu’s “The Dropout.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Seyfried’s representative for comment.
Holmes was convicted in January 2022 on four federal fraud charges stemming from her role in misleading investors about the capabilities of Theranos’ blood-testing technology. A jury found her guilty of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and three counts of wire fraud, all involving investors.
In November 2022, the disgraced entrepreneur was sentenced to 11 years and three months in federal prison.
“You Can See Everything” explored Holmes’ attempts to reshape her public image following the dramatic collapse of Theranos, the once-promising blood-testing startup she founded.
With her prison sentence looming, Holmes faced mounting scrutiny over her criminal conviction, her personal life and the way Hollywood had brought her rise and fall to the screen.
The documentary offered an intimate look at Holmes’ efforts to navigate the aftermath of the scandal while highlighting the stark contrast between how she perceived herself and how the public viewed her.
