9/11 Victims’ Families Upset ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ Used Harrowing Voicemails Without Permission

Some 9/11 victims’ families have complained Zero Dark Thirty, the Oscar-winning film documenting the hunt for and eventual capture of Osama bin Laden resulting in his death, used harrowing final voicemails left by victims before their deaths without permission from loved ones of those killed.

One 9/11 victim’s mother says Zero Dark Thirty included a voicemail left by her son Bradley Fetchet, as he was trapped in the World Trade Center on the 89th floor on September 11, 2001. Mary Fetchet has lashed out at the filmmakers behind Zero Dark Thirty, saying that she was not contacted about the use of her son’s last words to her before it was included in the major motion picture.

TMZ reports that the studios claim they “initiated contact with a number of families,” an admittedly vague explanation that doesn’t seem to confirm permission to include the upsetting audio bits was necessarily granted:

“Mary Fetchet has lashed out to several media outlets… saying she was shocked and upset when she heard her son’s voice featured in the dramatic opening moments of the Oscar nominated movie… Fetchet — and at least one other family of a 9/11 victim — aren’t buying the explanation and are now demanding an apology.”

Other 9/11 victims’ families tell a similar story about Zero Dark Thirty, and Harry Ong, brother of slain flight attendant Betty Ong, says that not only did the families not grant permission — they weren’t even expecting the blow, and “were never given any notification.”

According to the families of 9/11 victims, they’ve requested the filmmakers credit the victims by naming them in DVD releases — but Zero Dark Thirty‘s creators have yet to acknowledge the simple plea.