Historian Deborah Lipstadt ‘Overwhelms’ Fellow Passengers Watching In-Flight Movie ‘Denial,’ Based on the Infamous Lawsuit Filed Against Her

While about to take off on a plane trip on Tuesday, renowned historian Deborah Lipstadt told her Facebook followers that one of the films offered as part of the in-flight entertainment package was the new movie based on the high-profile libel suit filed against her by Holocaust denier David Irving.

She then asked whether her social media friends thought she should introduce herself to fellow passengers watching “Denial.” As she received widespread encouragement for doing so, she complied, and approached a mother and daughter from Seattle, who were engrossed in the film.

Before revealing her identity to them, Lipstadt, who teaches Holocaust Studies at Emory University, wanted to know if they liked it. The mother, Lipstadt recounted, responded with “hands on [her] heart, indicating she is so moved she can’t speak.” At that point, Lipstadt told them who she was and they were “totally overwhelmed.”