Shocking True Story Behind Laure Calamy’s Series: Meet the Devoted Friend!

In “A Devoted Friend,” HBO Max’s first French production, Laure Calamy plays Chris, a woman who pretends to be a victim of the November 13, 2015, terrorist attacks for several years. The series, as incredible as it may seem, is actually based on the true story of Florence M., detailed in Alexandre Kauffmann’s investigative book, “The Bataclan Mythomaniac.”

Who is the Real Bataclan Mythomaniac?

In the aftermath of the attacks that devastated France, Florence M., known online as “Flo Kitty,” began connecting with survivors on social media by claiming her friend Greg was also injured at the Bataclan. Similar to Chris in the series, she quickly became an integral part of the victims’ circle, offering a sympathetic ear to those in need. In an interview with 20 Minutes, Kauffmann revealed that some victims felt that “Florence M. had been a positive force in their lives.” She even got a job at the victims’ association Life for Paris, became a board member, and testified at the National Assembly regarding a bill to support victims. She also exposed several impostors within the association.

But there’s more: Florence also fabricated her own life story. She claimed to have a boyfriend in the United States whom she planned to join, and she maintained her story about her friend Greg, for whom she created a fake profile to interact with some survivors.

“I think she was a very lonely woman, a victim of her solitude and her past,” the author explained. “Her Facebook account, which I had access to, is a deep dive into this solitude. Unlike other fake victims who lied for purely financial reasons, Florence M. needed to socialize.”

A Ruthless Scammer

Meanwhile, Florence M. posed as a Bataclan survivor to the Guarantee Fund for Victims of Terrorist Acts and Other Criminal Offenses (FGTI). She used various testimonies she collected to craft her own story. She even managed to obtain a concert ticket from an Eagles of Death Metal show from a victim in the association to use as evidence of her good faith. The woman in her fifties thereby secured €25,000 from the Guarantee Fund and over €13,000 from health insurance.

However, as months passed, numerous inconsistencies in her stories began to surface. By piecing together various facts, the association realized Florence had lied, and they took legal action to expose her deceit.

In March 2018, she was sentenced to four and a half years of imprisonment by the Créteil court. Unfortunately, Florence M. was not the only fake victim of the Bataclan identified by the French justice system. About twenty individuals have been identified and convicted of fraud.

But for Alexandre Kauffmann, her story stands out from the rest. “Among all the fake victims, Florence M.’s journey is the most improbable and astounding,” he remarked. “Even though each of these stories contains ludicrous and absurd details, hers is filled with countless twists and turns, and a digital aspect to her lie that made her path even more mysterious. So much so that if this story had been told as fiction, it would have seemed unbelievable.”

Watch a new episode of A Devoted Friend this Friday, October 25, on HBO Max.