Incorrect info on IMDB could cost me my career (Michelle Please Read)

  • 1
  • Problem
  • Updated 6 days ago
  • Solved
Hi, this question is a request specifically for the official rep Michelle to help me if at all possible. I don't know what else to do as I am at my wit's end and cannot take another response of "unable to verify", nor any non-helpful responses like I have read on here instructing people to keep their issue within the help section. I am posting here after already not receiving any help from the help section.

I had a couple of non-speaking roles almost twenty years ago. A close friend contacted me recently asking me about a movie that IMDB is claiming I was in just three years ago when I was 42. Trust me when I say I would have remembered being nude in a movie for Playboy in my forties. I haven't done anything in this industry in almost 20 years, let alone any nude roles. I have politely asked multiple times for this film to be removed from the IMDB bio using the change/deletion form. I'm assuming it is a typo since my maiden name is very common and there are two more actresses with the same name. 

I currently work with children for my job. I am praying and hoping that this will be removed asap before a coworker sees it and puts my career at risk over an error on IMDB. I should not have to explain to my family, let alone people at work that I was not in an adult movie two years ago. I have offered to provide my driver's license, proof of age, maiden name, etc. and keep getting the same response from IMDB, "unable to verify". How are they verifying someone that isn't me? I don't know what else to do but this needs to be removed before I lose my job over it. I really hope Michelle or someone can help me with this issue. Thank you for your time. 

Submission ID for the movie to be deleted from my name/bio: #200716-152645-761000
Submission ID for removal of my name from the movie: #200716-152645-761000
Photo of Shan

Shan

  • 9 Posts
  • 8 Reply Likes
  • extremely frustrated

Posted 7 days ago

  • 1
Photo of gromit82

gromit82, Champion

  • 7568 Posts
  • 9702 Reply Likes
Shan: For clarity, have you been trying to delete the credit altogether, or change the name for the credit to assign it to a different person with the same name? If this credit belongs to a different actress with the same name, it should be assigned to a name with a different roman numeral in parentheses after the name.

Since I assume you don't want to post your full name or what the film title is on this public website, I won't be able to give you specific instructions, but at least let us know whether you submitted a complete deletion of the credit or a correction of the name -- because it probably should have been a correction of the name.
Photo of Shan

Shan

  • 9 Posts
  • 8 Reply Likes
Hi, thanks for such a quick response. I have no idea if there is actually an actress in the movie with my same name, I was only making an assumption since there are two more actresses on IMDb (my bio is the roman numeral III). I definitely need it deleted from the page with my information; as far as a correction to the movie page itself, that would have to be verified by someone from the actual film wouldn't it? I will say the photos underneath the title do not contain any actresses with my name, so the entire thing could be an error. To answer your question, I submitted a deletion of the credit from the page with my information. How can I find out if it belongs to someone else?
(Edited)
Photo of Ed Jones(XLIX)

Ed Jones(XLIX)

  • 23311 Posts
  • 27731 Reply Likes
How can I find out if it belongs to someone else?
Look at the filmography of the other two actresses. If one or both have adult title credits, then it is obvious that the credit belongs to them. As mentioned your making this difficult because your keeping your name private. If the other two do not have any adult titles, you can still credit another person with this credit. They would be Shan (IV). A newly created 4th Shan. You said there was 3. So IMDb never deletes. That is their goal. That is why your delete is not processed. But submit a correction to assign the credit to one of the other 2, or a newly created 4th Shan and they may approve it.
Photo of gromit82

gromit82, Champion

  • 7568 Posts
  • 9699 Reply Likes
Shan: I'm thinking that if it isn't you, then it most likely is someone else with the same name.

Suppose that you were listed as "Mary Smith (III)" in IMDb.* If somebody submitted Mary Smith (III) to IMDb for the cast of a Playboy film from 2017, it was probably because there was someone listed in the credits of that film as Mary Smith, and the submitter took a guess and assumed that it was Mary Smith (III). But in that circumstance, there really would have been a Mary Smith in the cast, even though it wasn't you. The submitter was probably not adding names completely at random, but was probably going by the names in the cast list.

So the goal should be to get the credit attributed to some other "Mary Smith", rather than deleting the credit altogether. Note that the person in the film might be a completely new person to the database who would have a new roman numeral after her name.

The fact that the photos on the title page don't include anyone with your name doesn't necessarily prove anything, since for any movie not all the cast members will necessarily be depicted in the photos on an IMDb title page.

I don't know how easy it would be to track down the specific film and view the credits (or, for that matter, how much you would prefer not to have to do that), but that would be the most accurate way of finding out whether the credit belongs to someone else by the same name.

*There actually is a Mary Smith (III) listed in IMDb, but her only credit was as a researcher on a film from 1938. This name is just being used as an example.
Photo of Shan

Shan

  • 9 Posts
  • 8 Reply Likes
Hi, I just looked at the other actresses' credits and nothing stands out that could be an obvious adult film. I can't imagine putting this error onto someone else's bio incorrectly, so I will try to have it moved to a new page/actress. Oddly enough, a fourth actress with the same name has been added since yesterday, so I'm not sure what it going on but I will have to request a 5th now. Thank you both for the suggestions. I will update this thread once IMDb responds to my newest request.
(Edited)
Photo of Ed Jones(XLIX)

Ed Jones(XLIX)

  • 23311 Posts
  • 27731 Reply Likes
Good Luck!!!!!
Photo of Shan

Shan

  • 9 Posts
  • 8 Reply Likes
Actually I think responded a little too quickly. :)

How would I go about changing this to a new (5th) actress bio? When I go to the correction form, I only have the option to delete or correct the credit. Since you're suggesting not to delete, do I then use the 'correct' option and respond with a sentence or two in the explanation box? If so, what do I now write in the box since the 5th actress bio doesn't yet exist? Or do I need to create a 5th bio and then write in the explanation that it belongs there instead? It just seems like the "correction" is actually part of the 'keep' option and only allows me to make changes to the character and not the actress, unless I am missing something. I'm sorry for so many questions but I have literally lost sleep about this and will do whatever I need to get it resolved.
(Edited)
Photo of sienel

sienel, Champion

  • 227 Posts
  • 338 Reply Likes
Assuming you're attacking this from your page:

Choose to Correct the specific credit, then on the next page check the "show name" box. When you continue on you'll be able to edit the name associated with the credit. 

Remove the roman numeral from the name and continue to the next page.  

It will ask you which person the credit belongs to, or if you want to create a new person. Choose to create a new person (assuming the other two people with your name don't look plausible). Fill in the explanation and submit.
(Edited)
Photo of gromit82

gromit82, Champion

  • 7568 Posts
  • 9699 Reply Likes
Shan: There's no problem with asking these questions.

Go to the page for the film, click "Edit page", and on the next screen select on the Cast line, "Correct/Delete". Scroll down and click "Continue".

On the next screen, select "Correct" in the drop-down menu to the left of your name, then click "Check these updates".

On the next screen, the name will be editable. Edit it by changing the roman numeral to the next available numeral (V). Check the box marked "Provide an explanation to assist in processing this submission." Click "Check these updates".

On the next screen, provide an explanation that you are [your name] (III), and you were not in this film. You can say that you have not seen the film, and if there was a [your name] in the film, you know that it was not you and so you are assigning it to a different actress with a new roman numeral after her name.  Do not mention that having this film in your credits could damage your career, because it if was really you in the film, that would be irrelevant.* The point is that the woman in the film isn't you at all.

There will also be a list of suggested names below that. Select the option for "This is a different person not currently listed - create '[your name] (V)'." Click "Re-check these updates", and proceed through the rest of your submission as usual.

Good luck!

Note: The method described by Sienel above would work as well.

*There have been examples where actors and actresses sought to remove credits for films they had actually worked on from IMDb. Credits are not eligible for removal if they are true. Your situation is different because you were not actually in the film -- it was someone else with the same name.
(Edited)
Photo of Shan

Shan

  • 9 Posts
  • 8 Reply Likes
Okay, thank you so much for the help! I haven't said anything in the submissions about it being damaging, etc. and I have nothing against nudity in films, so I'm sorry if it came across that way. I just don't want anything attached to my name that isn't accurate and potentially damaging because it was made fairly recently. I definitely appreciate that tip though! :)
Photo of Shan

Shan

  • 9 Posts
  • 8 Reply Likes
So I resubmitted the request to have the credit moved to another actress (name, V) and it was denied AGAIN. There is nothing helpful in the responses I receive, just the automated "unable to verify". I don't know HOW I am supposed to verify that I am not in an adult film, let alone that it is someone else? I believe I found the actress who is in the movie by going to a Playboy website, but she doesn't currently have an IMDb of her own that I can see. She was born in 1993 and I was born in 1975. There is no way you could confuse the two of us as the same person. Do any of you guys have another suggestion for me? This is really starting to drive me insane and I cannot believe there is such little effort being made on the backend to actually verify any of the information I keep giving them. :(
Photo of Elizabeth

Elizabeth, Employee

  • 1124 Posts
  • 1816 Reply Likes
Hi Shan, thanks for reaching out. Please note that threads can't be designated for particular employees. It looks like this credit was already moved to another page successfully. Cheers! 
Photo of Shan

Shan

  • 9 Posts
  • 8 Reply Likes
Hi Elizabeth, I do see it was moved, so that's great! I However, I also noticed that ALL of the credits were moved/removed, not just the incorrect one. Do you know if they will eventually be put back or do I need to do that myself? Thanks!
Photo of Shan

Shan

  • 9 Posts
  • 8 Reply Likes
So I had posted a reply here because I received another denial email, but I deleted it because once I went to the IMDb page itself the adult movie was gone from my credits (Yay!). The problem now is, they deleted EVERY credit under my name, it's completely blank. When I tried to add the accurate ones back, it wouldn't let me. Any suggestions? Should I wait a couple of days and see if they put them back up? You guys have been very helpful! :)
Photo of Elizabeth

Elizabeth, Employee

  • 1124 Posts
  • 1816 Reply Likes
Hey Shan, your credits are still there and attached to your page, however our display logic requires at least one fully credited role before your uncredited roles will display. Moving the incorrect credited role resulted in this display change. As soon as a credited role is added to your page, the rest of the credits will display as well. Thank you for your understanding! 
Photo of Shan

Shan

  • 9 Posts
  • 8 Reply Likes
Ok great, thank you for the info! :)

This conversation is no longer open for comments or replies.