Why People Are Petitioning To Stop Lifetime's 'Birthmother's Betrayal' From Airing

Though Lifetime has aired its fair share of ripped-from-the-headlines thrillers, Birthmother's Betrayal doesn't appear to be one of them. The story centers around a 16-year-old girl named Tara, who's able to track down her birth mother, Grace, thanks to the help of a DNA website. However, the more Tara gets to know Grace, the more worried her adoptive mother Amy becomes. Is Grace really who she says she is, and is her ultimate goal to edge Amy out of the picture so she can have Tara to herself? The story has all the ingredients for a classic, twisty Lifetime movie, but the movie's advertising doesn't mention anything about it being based on — or even inspired by — true events.

That's precisely why it's already caused some controversy: people in the adoption community have criticized it for being too sensational, and have even created a petition to stop Lifetime from airing the movie.

"The upcoming Lifetime movie Birthmother's Betrayal portrays birthmothers as dangerous and unbalanced women who are mentally unbalanced and unpredictable, and who pose untold risks to both adoptees and adoptive mothers," the petition states. "This sensationalist horror entertainment does a vast disservice to the tens of thousands of adoptees and adoptive families nationwide who enjoy positive, safe, lifelong open adoption relationships."

So while some may see it as a gripping, fictionalized story, others worry it could have some very negative real ramifications.