{
 "id": "epf297axa5",
 "slug": "desperate-lies",
 "title": "Desperate Lies",
 "updated": "2026-11-01",
 "topic_path": [
  {
   "id": "culture",
   "label": "Arts and culture",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture"
  },
  {
   "id": "culture.performance",
   "label": "Screen and stage",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance"
  },
  {
   "id": "culture.performance.screen",
   "label": "Film and television",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen"
  },
  {
   "id": "culture.performance.screen.series",
   "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series"
  },
  {
   "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials",
   "label": "International serial drama and telenovelas",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_international_serials"
  },
  {
   "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_latam",
   "label": "Telenovelas and Latin American/Iberian serials",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_latam"
  },
  {
   "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_latam.brazil",
   "label": "Brazilian novelas",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_latam.brazil"
  }
 ],
 "geo": [
  {
   "id": "geo.latam.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series",
   "label": "Latin America and the Caribbean · 2021 and later: Series and fictional screen worlds",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.latam.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series",
   "path": [
    {
     "id": "geo.latam",
     "label": "Latin America and the Caribbean",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.latam"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.latam.t2021",
     "label": "Latin America and the Caribbean · 2021 and later",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.latam.t2021"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.latam.t2021.culture",
     "label": "Arts and culture",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.latam.t2021.culture"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.latam.t2021.culture.performance",
     "label": "Screen and stage",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.latam.t2021.culture.performance"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.latam.t2021.culture.performance.screen",
     "label": "Film and television",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.latam.t2021.culture.performance.screen"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.latam.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series",
     "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.latam.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series"
    }
   ]
  }
 ],
 "excerpt": "Desperate Lies (Pedaço de Mim) is a 2024 Brazilian Netflix melodrama, 17 episodes, created by Angela Chaves, starring Juliana Paes as Liana, pregnant with twins by two fathers via heteropaternal superfecundation.",
 "snippet": "Desperate Lies (Pedaço de Mim) is a 2024 Brazilian Netflix melodrama, 17 episodes, created by Angela Chaves, starring Juliana Paes as Liana, pregnant with twins by two fathers via heteropaternal superfecundation.",
 "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_int_serials_latam.brazil",
 "markdown": "# Desperate Lies\n\n**Desperate Lies** (*Pedaço de Mim*, Portuguese for \"Piece of Me\") is a 2024 Brazilian melodrama series released on Netflix, created and written by Angela Chaves and directed by Maurício Farias. Its plot centers on Liana, an occupational therapist who, after her husband's infidelity and a sexual assault, becomes pregnant with twins fathered by two different men, a rare condition known as heteropaternal [superfecundation](https://www.edgepedia.org/superfecundation), and then spends years hiding the truth about her sons' paternity.<sup>[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/desperate-lies-release-date-news)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/pop/5-series-nacionais-para-quem-gostou-de-pedaco-de-mim/)</sup>\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Original title | *Pedaço de Mim* (\"Piece of Me\"); international title Desperate Lies<sup>[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/desperate-lies-release-date-news)</sup> |\n| Premiere | July 5, 2024, with all 17 episodes released at once on Netflix<sup>[3](https://usa.newonnetflix.info/info/81578306)</sup> |\n| Creator and director | Created and written by Angela Chaves; directed by Maurício Farias; produced by A Fábrica<sup>[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/desperate-lies-release-date-news)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://socinety.com/en/show/desperate-lies-2024)</sup> |\n| Main cast | Juliana Paes as Liana, Vladimir Brichta as Tomás, Felipe Abib as Oscar, Palomma Duarte as Sílvia<sup>[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/desperate-lies-release-date-news)</sup> |\n| Central premise | Twins fathered by two different men through heteropaternal superfecundation<sup>[2](https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/pop/5-series-nacionais-para-quem-gostou-de-pedaco-de-mim/)</sup> |\n| Setting | Filmed in and set in Rio de Janeiro; story runs from 2006, when the twins are conceived, to 2023<sup>[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/desperate-lies-release-date-news)</sup> |\n| Audience rating | TV-MA; IMDb score of 6.8/10 from about 1,600 votes<sup>[5](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27505298)</sup> |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Plot\n\nLiana (Juliana Paes) has always dreamed of becoming a mother, but after two miscarriages she fears her chances are slim, and her focus on getting pregnant strains her marriage to Tomás (Vladimir Brichta), a successful lawyer. When he cheats on her, she goes out with her best friend Débora (Martha Nowill) and goes home with Débora's brother Oscar (Felipe Abib), who that night sexually assaults her. Weeks later she learns she is pregnant with twins, and then that each twin has a different father: one is Tomás's, the other Oscar's.<sup>[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/desperate-lies-release-date-news)</sup>\n\nThe story follows Liana, Tomás, and their family and friends from 2006, when the twins are conceived, until 2023. Liana fights to keep the truth about her sons' paternity hidden while other secrets, including Tomás's affair with his mistress Cláudia (Yohama Eshima), Oscar's misdeeds, and Débora's split loyalties, threaten the family.<sup>[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/desperate-lies-release-date-news)</sup> The pregnancy results from heteropaternal superfecundation, a rare real phenomenon in which twins are fathered by different men.<sup>[2](https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/pop/5-series-nacionais-para-quem-gostou-de-pedaco-de-mim/)</sup>\n\n## Cast and production\n\nThe ensemble includes Palomma Duarte as Sílvia, Tomás's sister; João Vitti as Vicente, Liana's doctor, who diagnoses the superfecundation; Martha Nowill as Débora; Yohama Eshima as Cláudia; Antônio Grassi as Jonas, Tomás's father; and Mario Borges as Cezar, father of Oscar and Débora. The twin sons Marcos and Mateus are played as children by Enzo Diniz and Theo de Almeida and as teenagers by José Beltrão and Pedro Manoel Nabuco.<sup>[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/desperate-lies-release-date-news)</sup>\n\nThe series was filmed in and takes place in Rio de Janeiro.<sup>[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/desperate-lies-release-date-news)</sup> It is an original story, not based on a book.<sup>[1](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/desperate-lies-release-date-news)</sup> Production company A Fábrica produced the show, with episodes running roughly 36 to 58 minutes.<sup>[4](https://socinety.com/en/show/desperate-lies-2024)</sup> According to one academic account, the project was announced as a 50-chapter telenovela and was reduced to 17 episodes and reconfigured as a series.<sup>[6](https://ojs.uc.cl/index.php/cdi/article/download/93332/74118/326008)</sup>\n\n## Genre labeling\n\nNetflix's naming of the show differed by market. In Brazil the platform avoided the word \"novela\" (telenovela), describing it as a \"melodrama brasileiro\" and, in trailer promotion, \"minha nova série\"; some fans criticized this as downplaying the telenovela genre, which they consider part of Brazilian culture.<sup>[7](https://www.terra.com.br/diversao/entre-telas/series/netflix-assume-que-pedaco-de-mim-e-novela-mas-so-nos-eua%2Cd8ef06c79e424fdd2197f003947ff22biqqirdyp.html)</sup> In the United States, Netflix's Tudum site translated the title as Desperate Lies and described it openly as a Brazilian telenovela.<sup>[7](https://www.terra.com.br/diversao/entre-telas/series/netflix-assume-que-pedaco-de-mim-e-novela-mas-so-nos-eua%2Cd8ef06c79e424fdd2197f003947ff22biqqirdyp.html)</sup> Brazilian press widely reported it as Netflix's first telenovela, and commentators noted that its 17 episodes are too few for a traditional telenovela, which can run to more than 200 chapters, but too many for a miniseries, placing it closer to a drama series format.<sup>[8](https://exame.com/pop/pedaco-de-mim-e-serie-ou-novela-entenda-a-trama-com-juliana-paes-que-chega-a-netflix/)</sup>\n\n## Reception and viewership\n\nThe series performed strongly in its first weeks. It reached fifth place on Netflix's global top 10 and accumulated more than 1.8 million views within about three weeks of release.<sup>[2](https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/pop/5-series-nacionais-para-quem-gostou-de-pedaco-de-mim/)</sup> In its premiere week it was the most-watched non-English-language series in the world, according to *El País*, which noted that Netflix marketed it as a series abroad despite its traditional telenovela character.<sup>[9](https://elpais.com/america/2025-01-27/las-telenovelas-brasilenas-se-abren-paso-en-el-streaming-para-sobrevivir.html)</sup> Netflix's engagement report later showed Pedaço de Mim leading the Brazilian ranking with 21 million views, placing seventh on the global list of non-English-language series.<sup>[10](https://telaviva.com.br/26/02/2025/brasileiras-senna-e-pedaco-de-mim-lideram-engajamento-na-netflix/)</sup>\n\nCritical response was mixed. Brazilian critics praised Juliana Paes's performance and the choice of a little-known biological phenomenon as the story's engine, while noting that the short episode count compressed conflicts that a telenovela would have developed over more time.<sup>[11](https://jc.uol.com.br/cultura/2024/07/05/critica-pedaco-de-mim-envolve-o-espectador-e-traz-show-de-juliana-paes.html)</sup> Some English-language reviewers were harsher: a Ready Steady Cut review argued the series treated a premise requiring sensitivity in a flippant, soapy way.<sup>[12](https://readysteadycut.com/2024/07/05/desperate-lies-review/)</sup> Common Sense Media flagged the show for mature themes including rape, infidelity, and violence, recommending it for viewers aged 15 and up.<sup>[13](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/desperate-lies)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [Desperate Lies: Cast, Plot, and Release Date, Netflix Tudum](https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/desperate-lies-release-date-news)\n2. [5 séries nacionais para quem gostou de \"Pedaço de Mim\", CNN Brasil](https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/pop/5-series-nacionais-para-quem-gostou-de-pedaco-de-mim/)\n3. [Desperate Lies on Netflix USA, New On Netflix](https://usa.newonnetflix.info/info/81578306)\n4. [Desperate Lies, Socinety](https://socinety.com/en/show/desperate-lies-2024)\n5. [Desperate Lies (TV Mini Series 2024), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27505298)\n6. [A resiliência da telenovela brasileira na era da diversificação da dramaturgia seriada, OJS UC](https://ojs.uc.cl/index.php/cdi/article/download/93332/74118/326008)\n7. [Netflix assume que \"Pedaço de Mim\" é novela, mas só nos EUA, Terra](https://www.terra.com.br/diversao/entre-telas/series/netflix-assume-que-pedaco-de-mim-e-novela-mas-so-nos-eua%2Cd8ef06c79e424fdd2197f003947ff22biqqirdyp.html)\n8. [\"Pedaço de Mim\" é série ou novela?, Exame](https://exame.com/pop/pedaco-de-mim-e-serie-ou-novela-entenda-a-trama-com-juliana-paes-que-chega-a-netflix/)\n9. [Las telenovelas brasileñas se abren paso en el streaming, El País](https://elpais.com/america/2025-01-27/las-telenovelas-brasilenas-se-abren-paso-en-el-streaming-para-sobrevivir.html)\n10. [Brasileiras \"Senna\" e \"Pedaço de Mim\" lideram engajamento na Netflix, Tela Viva](https://telaviva.com.br/26/02/2025/brasileiras-senna-e-pedaco-de-mim-lideram-engajamento-na-netflix/)\n11. [Crítica: \"Pedaço de Mim\" envolve o espectador, JC](https://jc.uol.com.br/cultura/2024/07/05/critica-pedaco-de-mim-envolve-o-espectador-e-traz-show-de-juliana-paes.html)\n12. [Review: Desperate Lies, Ready Steady Cut](https://readysteadycut.com/2024/07/05/desperate-lies-review/)\n13. [Desperate Lies Parents' Guide, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/desperate-lies)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › Telenovelas and Latin American/Iberian serials › Brazilian novelas*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
 "same_as": [],
 "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/desperate-lies",
 "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/desperate-lies.md",
 "license": {
  "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0",
  "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license",
  "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.",
  "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0"
 },
 "credit": "\"Desperate Lies\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/desperate-lies. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.",
 "credit_md": "\"[Desperate Lies](https://www.edgepedia.org/desperate-lies)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/desperate-lies](https://www.edgepedia.org/desperate-lies). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).",
 "credit_html": "\"<a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/desperate-lies\">Desperate Lies</a>\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), <a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/desperate-lies\">https://www.edgepedia.org/desperate-lies</a>. <a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\">Edgepedia Community License 1.0</a>.",
 "speakable": "Desperate Lies is a 2024 Brazilian Netflix melodrama, 17 episodes, created by Angela Chaves, starring Juliana Paes as Liana, pregnant with twins by two fathers via heteropaternal superfecundation."
}