Played by Dominique Fishback, the character of Andrea “Dre” Greene in Swarm offers a chilling insight into obsessive fandom but is she based on a real person?
Fresh from helming the fourth and final season of Atlanta, Donald Glover and Janine Nabers have teamed up for their latest project, Swarm, which follows a young woman who is a massive fan of world-famous popstar, Ni’Jah.
However, Andrea “Dre” Greene’s obsession with the musician borders on the extreme and a disclaimer at the beginning of each episode saying that, “This is not a work of fiction,” has left viewers asking if the character is real.
Swarm release date and plot preview
Swarm buzzed its way onto Prime Video on Friday, March 17, 2023.
Created by Donald Glover and Janine Nabers, the series follows a young woman named Dre (Dominique Fishback) whose obsession with a world-renowned pop star borders on the extreme.
So much so that Dre is willing to venture into some dark and violently unexpected places to defend her musical idol.
Is Andrea Greene from Swarm real?
No, Andrea “Dre” Greene is not based on a real person and is a purely fictitious character.
However, the show’s creators have taken real-world events and applied them to the character they have created for Swarm in order to show what might happen if a fan’s obsession with an artist grew to the point where they might become violent in order to defend them.
On top of that, the artist Dre reveres so vehemently, Ni’Jah, is also a fictional creation for the show, although Swarm’s creators have clearly based the pop sensation on the real-world Queen Bey, Beyoncé. Even Ni’Jah’s dedicated fanbase, The Swarm, takes inspiration from Beyoncé’s real-world fandom, known as the Bey Hive.
The series blends elements of fantasy and reality, which has viewers guessing over what has been taken from real life. This is made most clear in Swarm episode 6, which takes on the format of a true crime documentary.
Viewers follow Memphis detective Loretta Greene as she attempts to solve a string of recent murders. Greene starts to connect the dots and a trail leads her to Dre, who is portrayed by a different actress in this episode.
The episode even invites viewers to call or text the number 901-582-8002 with any tips on Dre.
Events of the show are based on true stories
While Dre may be a fictional character in Swarm, her exploits are based on real-world events.
This is made clear by the disclaimer at the start of each episode which reads: “This is not a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is intentional.”
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times ahead of Swarm’s release, co-creator Janine Nabers explained: “We did research for months to basically find events [between 2016 and 2018] that we could put our main character in.
“So it’s really not a work of fiction. We’ve taken real internet rumors, real murders and combined them in the narrative of our main character, Dre. Not much is fabricated.”
One of the inspirations behind the series was a viral internet rumor about fake Beyoncé fan Marissa Jackson. Jackson, who is not a real person, rose to notoriety after the release of Lemonade in April 2016. She was said to have taken her own life after the album was released, after having discovered her partner cheating. Marissa shares the same name with Chloe Bailey’s character in Swarm and their fate plays out the same way.
“I created this with [Glover], a music artist who has his own kind of swarm and fanbase, so we drew from experiences both person and [not],” Nabers expanded. “So I think it’s ok for people to say, ‘They remind me of the Barbz (fans of Nicki Minaj) or the Swifties (Taylor Swift).’ That’s the conversation that we want people to have.”
Swarm is available to stream now on Prime Video after releasing on Friday, March 17, 2023.
If you are affected by any issues raised in the article or would like someone to speak to, please call the Samaritans for free on 116 123. You can also email them at [email protected] or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch in the UK. In the US, please visit Samaritans USA for more information.
You can also contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text 741741 to get in touch with the Crisis Text Line. Americans can now call or text 988 to reach out and speak to a counsellor.
In other news, The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague season 2 renewal status explored