Is Netflix's Forever based on a true story? Explained
Forever is Netflix's upcoming teen romance-drama series, which premiered on May 8, 2025. Created by Mara Brock Akil, the show follows two student-athletes, Keisha Clark and Justin Edwards, who reconnect at a party and fall in love. They begin a romantic relationship which is put to the test amidst social and parental pressure.
As for whether the show is based on real-life events, the answer is no, as it is fictional. The show is an adaptation of Judy Blume's YA romance novel of the same name, published in 1975. In 1996, the book won the Margaret Edwards Award for contributing to young adult literature.
In an interview with Tudum, published on May 8, 2025, Judy Blume opened up about her thoughts on the adaptation of her novel.
"I'm thrilled that Mara has chosen to tell this story through her own lens. It is gratifying to know that, 50 years after its release, the love story at the core of Forever is still resonating with audiences," she stated.
Judy Blume on what inspired her to write Forever
According to a piece published by People Magazine on May 8, 2025, Blume opened up about how her real-life story inspired the making of her novel. In the 2023 Prime Video Documentary Judy Blume Forever, Blume explained that a conversation with her daughter ultimately led to her writing the novel.
"When my daughter was 14, Randy was still reading books where if a girl succumbed and did this terrible thing with a boy — which was never really spelled out in the books, but you knew that she had had s*x — the girl was punished. Her life was ruined. She would get pregnant, and this would lead to her banishment or illegal abortion, and the girl would die," the 87-year-old author recalled.
Randy then asked her mother to write a book where two kids fall in love but don't end up dying, which was a fun idea the author took up. Blume also revealed that the original title of the book was meant to be "Forever.... Forever doesn't always last forever."
"When I wrote this book, I wasn't really happy in my marriage. I was, for so long, a good girl trying to please others. And I tried to do it for a long time, for 15 years," she explained.
She also admitted that writing this novel caused her marriage to last much longer than it might have. She ended her marriage in 1975, the same year the novel was published.
Characters and cast of Forever
The show's cast is led by Lovie Simone as Keisha Clark and Michael Cooper Jr. as Justin Edwards, the protagonists.
Mentioned below is the full list of cast members who appear in the Netflix show:
- Lovie Simone as Keisha Clark
- Michael Cooper Jr. as Justin Edwards
- Xosha Roquemore as Shelly Clark
- Marvin L. Winans III as Jaden Edwards
- Wood Harris as Eric Edwards
- Karen Pittman as Dawn Edwards
- Niles Fitch as Darius
- Adriyan Rae as Brittany
- Ali Gallo as Chloe
- Barry Shabaka Henley as George
- Paigion Walker as Tiffany
- Xavier Mills as Christian
- Emyri Crutchfield as Tammy
- Susan Beaubian as Principal
- William Catlett as Quincy
- Yusef Thomas as Rodney
- Nijah Breneа as Shonda
- Hernando Planells Jr. as Coach Derek
- Cornell Young IV as Todd
- Arthur Clark as Coach Hunter
- Gabriella Martinez as Nancy
Also read: Netflix's My Family: Full list of cast in the Italian drama
Forever is available to stream on Netflix.
