Is ‘The Girl in The Cellar’ on Lifetime Based on a True Story?

Lifetime‘s latest addition to their Ripped From the Headlines catalogue is a chilling new movie.

Girl in the Cellar, the new film starring Kyla Pratt and Kelcey Mawema debuted on the network on Saturday night (Aug. 23).

Girl in the Cellar joins Lifetime’s Girl In collection, which also features Girl in the Attic, Girl in the Garage: The Laura Cowan Story, The Girl Locked Upstairs: The Tanya Kach Story, Girl in the Video, Girl in Room 13, Girl in the Basement, Girl in the Bunker, Girl in the Box, and Girl in the Shed.

Want to learn more about Girl in the Cellar? Is Girl in the Cellar on Lifetime based on a true story? Here is what we know.

Is Girl in the Cellar on Lifetime a true story?

According to a July 8 press release from Lifetime, Girl in the Cellar is “inspired by real stories,” tough a specific case is not listed.

What is Girl in the Cellar (2025) about?

According to the network, the new movie follows follows Rebecca (Pratt), who “grows increasingly concerned that her daughter Lory (Mawema) is not making the right life choices.”

“The final straw comes when Rebecca learns that Lory has a secret boyfriend, and to prevent any further mistakes, she decides to confine Lory in their basement cellar,” the synopsis continues. “What Lory doesn’t know is that this is the same cellar where Rebecca was held captive by her abusive father years ago. As Lory battles for survival, the neighbors begin to notice her absence, and Rebecca’s behavior draws suspicion, making her a prime suspect in her daughter’s disappearance. Haunted by her traumatic past, Rebecca grapples with her actions and the conflicting feelings of guilt and justification over what she has done.”

Check out the trailer for Girl in the Cellar above.