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Brett Favre, who is considered to be one of the most iconic quarterbacks in the NFL is the subject of Netflix's latest documentary, Untold: The Fall of Favre. The one-hour-three-minute-long documentary, which was released on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, takes a look at the scandals that eclipsed his on-field success. The quarterback was accused of s*xually harassing a former New York Jets field reporter, Jenn Sterger, and had been implicated in the Mississippi welfare funds scandal.
The documentary analyzes Favre's off-field behavior with interviews from journalists and others most impacted by his actions, according to USA Today. Favre isn't a part of the documentary and he has constantly maintained that he did nothing wrong in both instances.
Untold: The Fall of Favre has reopened debates regarding accountability, privilege, and the influence of celebrity status within sports. As the documentary demonstrates, Favre's legacy is now as much a result of controversy as it is of his playing career.
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Five important facts regarding the Brett Favre scandal
1) Favre's NFL career and public image
The new Netflix documentary, Untold: The Fall of Favre, starts off by exploring Brett Favre's professional career in the NFL. It takes a look at how he went from a small-town boy from Mississippi to a nationally recognized figure. He played for 20 seasons, predominantly with the Green Bay Packers, and holds some of the league's records.
Favre's name was also added to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was often seen as the epitome of toughness and resilience. However, as the documentary details, his off-field controversies soon became a major part of his public narrative.
2) The Jenn Sterger s*xual harassment allegations
A central focus of the Netflix documentary is the s*xual harassment allegations made by Jenn Sterger in 2008, during Favre’s season with the New York Jets. According to TIME, the football player allegedly sent Sterger unsolicited explicit photos and inappropriate messages.
The scandal was made public in 2010, and there was extensive media coverage, which impacted Sterger's career. Meanwhile, Brett Favre confirmed sending voicemails but denied sending the explicit photos in an investigation.
He has never publicly addressed the charges and did not take part in the documentary.
3) The Mississippi Welfare Funds Scandal
The documentary also discusses the football player's involvement in the misuse of welfare funds in Mississippi. As per Forbes, Favre was paid $1.1 million of welfare recipients' funds for speaking appearances he never made. He paid back the principal but, as of early 2024, still owed almost $729,000 in interest, the state auditor says.
Brett Favre denied having any knowledge that the funds were welfare-designated and was not criminally charged. The scandal also includes money being allocated to the construction of a volleyball complex at the University of Southern Mississippi, where Favre's daughter attended school and where Favre is an alumnus.
4) Legal Battles and defamation lawsuits
Brett Favre has also pushed back against media scrutiny and public backlash in court. USA Today reports that he sued media personalities Shannon Sharpe and Pat McAfee as well as the Mississippi State Auditor and two reporters.
Favre's suit against Sharpe was dismissed, and he agreed not to continue with the suit against McAfee after the latter issued a public apology. The documentary covers these cases and they are seemingly depicted as Favre's attempts to clear his name.
5) Long-term effect on Favre's legacy
The documentary ends by looking at the long-term effects of such scandals on Brett Favre's legacy. As reported by Awful Announcing, the documentary does not hesitate to portray the aftermath of Favre's deeds, both for himself and others who were impacted by his actions.
The scandals have resulted in a continued debate regarding the responsibility of top athletes and the responsibility of the media in holding them accountable. Favre's on-field accomplishments continue to hold importance, but his legacy is now both his on-field accomplishments and the off-field scandals.
Untold: The Fall of Favre offers a comprehensive examination of the scandals that have defined Brett Favre's public persona over the last few years. The documentary touches on his ascent in the NFL, the Jenn Sterger harassment scandal, the Mississippi welfare funds scandal, his court struggles, and the enduring effect on his legacy.
Favre denied any impropriety and was not criminally charged. The movie provokes questions about celebrity, responsibility, and power relations in professional sports, leaving Favre's tale one of both accomplishment and scandal.
The documentary is available for streaming on Netflix, along with all the other documentaries and docuseries in the Untold collection.
