48 Characters Found in Pop Culture That Are Based on Real People

In American Horror Story, Delphine LaLaurie is a truly terrifying figure. Played by Kathy Bates, she is a scary serial killer in New Orleans who is obsessed with youth and her appearance. It’s scary enough to watch this fictional character from the comfort of our own homes, but it’s even scarier to learn that LaLaurie is based on an actual woman.

Delphine LaLaurie was a New Orleans socialite with a very well-respected place in society during the early 1800s. She had a dark secret, though. In 1834, a fire set her house ablaze, and it was revealed that she was secretly torturing and horrifically treating the enslaved people in her household. An outraged mob chased her out of the city, and she escaped to France, never to return.