10/22/2026
Michaela Coel reportedly turned down a $1 million offer from Netflix because she refused to give up ownership of her own creative work.
While developing *I May Destroy You*, a television series inspired partly by her personal experience of sexual assault, Coel learned that the proposed deal would leave her without a share of the copyright.
She initially requested 5% ownership, eventually lowering her request to just 0.5%, but negotiations still failed to produce an agreement she could accept.
Rather than sacrifice her rights, Coel walked away from the deal and eventually partnered with the BBC, which allowed her to retain ownership and creative control.
The series premiered on BBC and HBO in 2020, earning widespread critical acclaim and later winning Coel an Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie in 2021.
Her decision became an influential example of why intellectual property ownership matters, particularly for Black creators navigating an entertainment industry where creative control can be difficult to secure.
Coel's story demonstrates that sometimes protecting the value of your work means having the courage to walk away from a major opportunity.
