Is Swiped based on a true story? Inside the inspiration for empowering Lily James movie

Swiped starring Lily James has just arrived on Disney+ and promises to be an eye-opening viewing experience for subscribers this weekend.

The British star of Yesterday and Pam and Tommy portrays an American entrepreneur who forges her own path after a harrowing experience working behind-the-scenes on a dating app.

Also starring Dan Stevens, Jackson White and Myha'la, it’s a must-watch for anyone keen to learn more about the surge in online dating over the past decade.

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However, it also exposes some uncomfortable truths about those in charge as apps like Tinder took control of our dating lives.

As the new film hits Disney+ today (Friday, 19th September), let’s take a look at the shocking story behind the docu-drama.

Is Swiped based on a true story?

Yes, Swiped is based on a true story and lead actress Lily James is portraying a real woman; founder and CEO of Bumble, Whitney Wolfe Herd.

Set in the 2010s, the film charts her rise to success after initially co-founding the dating app Tinder with Sean Rad, Justin Mateen and Jonathan Badeen.

After joining the startup Cardify aged just 2022, she soon left the project and joined the development team for Tinder, which was then called MatchBox.

Wolfe Herd then became the vice president of marketing for the app and was reportedly behind Tinder’s name, taking inspiration from the flame logo and the idea of easily combustible material that uses sparks to make fire.

However, after breaking into the male-dominated tech industry, her working relationship with the company executives grew tense. She left the company in April 2014 and in June that year filed a lawsuit against Tinder for sexual harassment.

Wolfe Herd alleged that both Rad and Mateen discriminated against and harassed her and forced her out of the company, stripping her of her co-founder title.

Rad and Mateen denied the allegations, though Mateen was indefinitely suspended from the company and the case was settled out of court, with Wolfe Herd reportedly receiving $1 million (£740,000) in the settlement.

After also receiving online harassment following her departure from Tinder, Wolfe Herd was empowered to carve out a female-friendly space for online dating.

Find out how she did this and more details of her incredible story in the new docu-drama now it’s available for streaming.

Swiped is available to stream on Disney+.