The Linda Napolitano Abduction

About this episode

The episode discusses the controversial 1989 abduction claim of Linda Napolitano, exploring its implications and recent resurgence in media.

In November 1989, Linda Napolitano—using the pseudonym “Cortile”—claimed she was abducted from her 12th-floor Manhattan apartment by alien beings who levitated her through a closed window into a hovering craft near the Brooklyn Bridge. Her account, investigated and publicized by ufologist Budd Hopkins, included supposed high-level witnesses, including two security agents and even the then-U.N. Secretary-General. Though Linda reported earlier abductions and alleged continued alien interest in her family, the case became highly controversial due to unverifiable witnesses, criticism of Hopkins’ investigative methods, and later challenges from his ex-wife, Carol Rainey. The story resurfaced in 2024 through a Netflix docuseries, prompting Linda to file a lawsuit for defamation. The case remains one of the most debated abduction narratives in UFO lore.

Topics covered

• abduction
• UFO
• alien
• controversy
• lawsuit

Keywords

• Linda Napolitano
• Budd Hopkins
• Brooklyn Bridge
• Netflix docuseries
• defamation

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Manhattan

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