Is Sex/Life based on a true story? Find out all the inspo behind the sultry Netflix hit

Fans can't help but wonder, 'Is Sex/Life based on a true story?' After all, the truth is always stranger (and steamier!) than fiction

Sex/Life SEX/LIFE (L to R) SARAH SHAHI as BILLIE CONNELLY and MIKE VOGEL as COOPER CONNELLY in episode 107 of SEX/LIFE Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2021 - Is Sex/Life based on a true story
(Image credit: Courtesy: Netflix)

After episode three got everyone and their mother hot and bothered, fans are left wondering: Is Sex/Life based on a true story? 

By now, you've likely heard all about Netflix's tantalizing new series and the actors who play, ahem, big parts in the sexy drama. But do you know how Billie Connelly's story came to be? 

We'll fill you in on everything you need to know about the buzzworthy book-turned-show. 

Is Sex/Life based on a true story?

The mastermind behind your new favorite TV binge is BB Easton, the unintentional memoirist who brought Billie Connelly and her romantic escapades to life. The real-life school psychologist was adjusting to motherhood and late-night feedings with an escape of her own—a good book. She had plowed through the likes of Jenny Lawson and David Sedaris but got inspired to write her own pieces when she got her hands on none other than Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. And a romance writer was born! 

After familiarizing herself with the genre and the bad-boy trope we all know and love, Easton realized she had a few things to add to the mix. She, like Billie, began keeping a journal of her boyfriends of yesteryear—the punk rocker, the motorcyclist, etc—which was discovered by her straight-laced husband. Oops!

Fortunately for us all, it all worked out, as it stemmed into her first creative undertaking, 44 Chapters About 4 Men, a 2016 memoir that ultimately inspired Sex/Life. She followed up with a spinoff series with four entries—Skin, Speed, Star, and Suit—each dedicated to a lover in 44 Chapters. Plus, she's even tackled a dystopian love story with The Rain trilogy. If you're in need of a few beach reads this summer, you've got plenty to choose from! (Just make sure you bring a fan—the sun's not the only thing that's hot!)

44 Chapters About 4 Men by BB Easton | $15

<a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=110169&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2FSex-Life-Chapters-About-Men%2Fdp%2F1538718332%2Fref%3Dsr_1_1%3Fcrid%3D1KVUVAWYECX7W%26dchild%3D1%26keywords%3D44%2Bchapters%2Babout%2B4%2Bmen%26qid%3D1625771067%26sprefix%3D44%2Bchapters%252Caps%252C174%26sr%3D8-1%26tag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">44 Chapters About 4 Men by BB Easton | $15

A school psychologist adjusts to life as a wife and new mom by keeping a sexy journal of her past love lives. But what exactly happens when her husband finds out about her new creative endeavors? 

The Complete Rain Trilogy: Praying for Rain / Fighting for Rain / Dying for Rain by BB Easton | $29.99

<a href="https://target.georiot.com/Proxy.ashx?tsid=110169&GR_URL=https%3A%2F%2Famazon.com%2FComplete-Rain-Trilogy-Praying-Fighting%2Fdp%2F1732700788%2Fref%3Dtmm_pap_swatch_0%3F_encoding%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1625776290%26sr%3D8-1%26tag%3Dhawk-future-20%26ascsubtag%3Dhawk-custom-tracking-20" data-link-merchant="Amazon US"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">The Complete Rain Trilogy: Praying for Rain / Fighting for Rain / Dying for Rain by BB Easton | $29.99

How is Sex/Life different from the book?

While we won't give away any spoilers, let's just say the men you read about and see on TV are a bit different, and Billie Connelly and BB Easton are not the same person.  Since you're likely still in the middle of bingeing the show, all we'll say is you'll have to finish both the book and TV show to find out. 

But the story itself in all its incarnations does have one main thing in common: its attempt to shine a light on womanhood and what wives and new mothers are likely to experience. 

"No one tells other people what you’re going through either. And no one ever EVER shows it on TV, especially not on a show about a beautiful woman’s sex life," the author wrote on Instagram. Easton is looking for her story to change that notion. 

Now that you're clearly invested in BB Easton's creativity, the time has come: Are you #TeamCooper or #TeamBrad? Happy reading and watching, friends. (And yes, there is a big surprise coming for you in episode three at exactly 19 minutes and 50 seconds...but who's counting?)

Danielle Valente
Digital News Writer

Need a TV show recommendation? Maybe a few decor tips? Danielle, a digital news writer at Future, has you covered. Her work appears throughout the company’s lifestyle brands, including My Imperfect Life, Real Homes, and woman&home. Mainly, her time is spent at My Imperfect Life, where she’s attuned to the latest entertainment trends and dating advice for Gen Z.


Before her time at Future, Danielle was the editor of Time Out New York Kids, where she got to experience the best of the city from the point of view of its littlest residents. Before that, she was a news editor at Elite Daily. Her work has also appeared in Domino, Chowhound, and amNewYork, to name a few. 


When Danielle’s not writing, you can find her testing out a new recipe, reading a book (suggestions always welcome), or rearranging the furniture in her apartment…again.