‘Orange Is the New Black’: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

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We all know what’s happening on Orange Is the New Black: Pennsatucky may be dead, Alex and Piper have a fiery rekindled romance, and Larry’s sad and pissed. But what about the behind-the-scenes gossip? Read on to find out more about the women’s correctional facility the show is based on, and more on-set drama leading up to Season 2, which hits Netflix on June 6.

1. Lauren Morelli Realized She Was Gay While Writing Episodes

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Lauren Morelli writes for OITNB and recently wrote an article in PolicyMic about her sexuality. Morelli’s article, which reads like a diary entry, is a shockingly frank account of how her life paralleled Piper’s during the first season, and just how frightening the realization of being gay was. The situation was complicated by the fact that she was married to a man just five months before production began. She writes:

Now, when I am in the writers’ room or on set, I no longer feel like I am stuck in the middle of two truths. I belong because my own narrative fits in alongside the fictional stories that we are telling on the show: stories of people finding themselves, of difficult paths and of redemption.

2. Lauryn Hill Served Time in the Facility

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Lauryn Hill spent three-months in the Danbury Federal Correctional Facility the show is based on. She was sentenced in 2012 for failing to pay more than $1 million in taxes. CBS reported the conditions that inmates lived under in the facility:

In Danbury, inmates live in open dormitory-style quarters and work jobs such as maintenance, food service and landscaping. Inmates work 7.5 hours a day and earn between 12 and 40 cents an hour. Also, inmates are allowed to sit next to visitors in a special room without being separated by barriers.

3. Martha Stewart Almost Served Time There

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In 2004, Martha Stewart was found guilty of obstruction of an agency proceeding, and making false statements to federal investigators. She wanted to go to prison in Connecticut or Florida, and the women’s correctional facility in Danbury was her first choice. The U.S. Department of Justice, however, thought she’d be too accessible to the press and sent her to a complex in West Virginia.

4. The Woman Who Inspired Alex’s Character Says There Was No Sex in Prison

Catherine Cleary Wolters, the woman who inspired Alex’s character in the show, says her relationship with Piper was not as steamy as it’s made out to be. She tells tells Vanity Fair:

We did not have sex in prison, not even a little bit.

Wolters, 51, admits that life in prison isn’t as fun as watching the series. In reality, Wolters and Kerman were only together in prison for five weeks. She’s writing her own biography called Out of Orange.

5. Prepon Originally Auditioned for the Role of Piper

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Director Jenji Kohan was a huge fan of Laura Prepon‘s audition, but conceded that the thought of her in jail wasn’t scary enough. He did, however, tailor the role of Alex to fit Prepon.