Is Netflix’s ‘Leanne’ Based On Leanne Morgan’s Real Life? Everything To Know

Netflix’s Leanne is bound to be the new show everyone is talking about over the next few weeks, whether it’s because of the relatable situations, the A-Team actors who bring the characters to life, or the hilarious jokes that will have you pausing the TV to catch your breath.

The latest Chuck Lorre sitcom is named after its title actor, Leanne Morgan, who makes the jump from stand-up comedy to the small screen after a breakout role in Prime Video’s You’re Cordially Invited. While it’s only her third real on-screen role, viewers would never be able to tell as it’s a character she plays perfectly.

“Leanne’s life takes an unexpected turn when her husband of 33 years leaves her for another woman. Starting over when you’re a grandmother and in menopause isn’t exactly what she had in mind, but with the help of her family she will navigate this new chapter with grace, dignity and jello salad,” a Netflix description reads.

But is the show based on a true story? Has the real Leanne dealt with a similar situation to her character? And, most importantly, does Jello salad help with heartbreak?! We have answers to two of those three rhetorical questions — as for the Jello salad one, you’ll just have to figure that out for yourself.

Here’s everything you need to know about whether or not Leanne is based on a true story.

Is Netflix’s Leanne Based On a True Story?

Nope, Netflix’s Leanne is a dramatized and highly fictionalized version of Leanne Morgan’s life and is not based on her own experience of being left by her husband. In fact, in real life, Leanne is happily married to her husband, Chuck Morgan, and has been for more than three decades.

Leanne, who started doing stand-up 25 years ago, wed her longtime husband back in 1993 and the couple share three children, Charlie, Maggie, and Tess. In the series, Leanne’s husband, Bill (Ryan Stiles), leaves her after 33 years and two children, Tyler (Graham Rogers) and Josie (Hannah Pilkes). Thankfully, that is not something Leanne has had to deal with.

In a recent interview with Glamour, Leanne explained that when Lorre first came to her and asked her about making a TV show about her, he approached her with the idea to have the character experience a separation later in life. It was an idea she said she was initially reluctant to, if for no other reason than it being possibly confusing for some viewers.

“At first I was like, ‘I’m not divorced,’ but I don’t want it to be based on my real life. So I’m glad he did that,” Leanne told the outlet. “I also think that even if women are not going through a divorce, it’s important to know it’s never too late for anything. This character pulls her bootstraps up and moves on and her life isn’t over and she’s desirable.”

Despite her best efforts to get out in front of it, both in conversation with Lorre before shooting and now in interviews prior to the show’s release, the trailer has led some online to believe that she is not married or is rejoining the market after 33 years with one man. That is distinctly not the case and something that he is actively working to shut down.

“When the show was first announced, people would go, ‘I knew he couldn’t handle her success. Chuck can’t handle her making money,’” she joked with Glamour adding that her husband it trying to get her to set the record straight via her standup. “He’ll say, ‘Leanne, people think we’re getting a divorce. You need to get on there and tell them otherwise.’”

Leanne is now streaming on Netflix.