The British actress Lily James, known for her roles in Yesterday and Pam and Tommy, stars in the new Disney+ film Swiped, which promises to be a revealing watch for subscribers this weekend.
In the film, she plays an American entrepreneur who carves out her own path after a distressing experience working behind-the-scenes on a dating app.
Featuring Dan Stevens, Jackson White and Myha’la, it’s a must-see for anyone interested in understanding the rise of online dating over the past decade.
However, it also uncovers some unsettling truths about those at the helm as apps like Tinder began to dominate our romantic lives.
As the new film lands on Disney+ today (Friday, 19th September), let’s delve into the shocking story behind the docu-drama, reports the Mirror.
Is Swiped based on a true story?
Indeed, Swiped is rooted in reality and lead actress Lily James portrays a real-life figure; Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder and CEO of Bumble.
Set in the 2010s, the film traces her journey to success after initially co-founding the dating app Tinder with Sean Rad, Justin Mateen and Jonathan Badeen.
After joining the startup Cardify at the tender age of 2022, she soon left the project and joined the development team for Tinder, then known as MatchBox.
Wolfe Herd went on to become the vice president of marketing for the app and is reportedly responsible for the name Tinder, drawing inspiration from the flame logo and the concept of easily combustible material that uses sparks to ignite a fire.
However, after making her mark in the male-dominated tech world, her professional relationship with the company’s executives became strained. She parted ways with the company in April 2014 and by June of that year, she had lodged a lawsuit against Tinder for sexual harassment.
Wolfe Herd claimed that both Rad and Mateen discriminated against her, harassed her, and forced her out of the company, stripping her of her co-founder title.
Rad and Mateen refuted the allegations, although Mateen was indefinitely suspended from the company and the case was settled outside of court, with Wolfe Herd reportedly pocketing $1 million (£740,000) in the settlement.
After also being subjected to online harassment following her exit from Tinder, Wolfe Herd was motivated to create a female-friendly environment for online dating.
Discover how she achieved this and more fascinating details of her remarkable journey in the new docu-drama now available for streaming.
Swiped is available to stream on Disney+.