Sabrina Rubin Erdely is an American former journalist and magazine reporter, who in 2014 authored a defamatory article in Rolling Stone describing the alleged rape of a University of Virginia student by several fraternity members.

The magazine retracted the article following a Columbia University School of Journalism review which concluded that Erdely and Rolling Stone failed to engage in "basic, even routine journalistic practice".

[8] Later, in an article she wrote for the University of Pennsylvania alumni magazine, she called Glass a "sociopathic creep" because, she said, he fabricated stories published as factual journalism in The New Republic.

[10] A 2012 story for Rolling Stone, alleging bullying of gay students in Minnesota, was similarly nominated and received a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Magazine Article.

Erdely's article described a fifth grade altar boy referred to by the pseudonym "Billy Doe" whom "brutal attacks turned ... into a sullen, drug-addicted loner," alleging a "high-level conspiracy."

[15] Cipriano criticized Erdely for failing to include information on Billy Doe's background that could have impugned his credibility; he had, for instance, been arrested six times, once while trafficking 56 bags of heroin.

[27] Rolling Stone publisher Jann S. Wenner asked the dean of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism to audit the editorial processes leading up to the publication of the controversial story.

[36] On May 12, 2015, the associate dean of students at the University of Virginia, Nicole Eramo, who oversaw sexual violence cases at the time of the article's publication, filed a lawsuit against both Rolling Stone and Erdely, seeking $7.5 million in damages based upon her claim that the article contained "highly defamatory and false statements", which she alleged, led to the destruction of Eramo's credibility, permanently damaging her reputation, and causing her emotional distress.

[37] Beginning on October 17, 2016, a 10-member federal court jury heard testimony from 12 witnesses and saw 11 hours of video statements and more than 180 exhibits of evidence over 16 days during the trial for defamation brought by Eramo.

[41] On September 19, 2017, that decision was reversed by a three judge panel of the United States Court of Appeal for the Second Circuit which found that "Plaintiffs Elias and Fowler have plausibly alleged that the purportedly defamatory statements in the Article only were 'of and concerning' them individually.

[48] In 2013 a film, titled The Girl Who Conned the Ivy League and based on Erdely's story of the same name for Rolling Stone, published in early 2010, was in development with Rob Epstein as director.

[50] However, in January 2014, an LA Weekly cover story described cocaine-dealing allegations and prison time done by Remington Chase and Stepan Martirosyan, who were involved in financing the film.

Episode 18 of the show, titled "Devastating Story", was broadcast in April 2015 and features the case of a college student who falsely claims to have been gang raped in a fraternity house.

[56][57] In May 2022, an off-Broadway play adapted from Erdely's "A Rape on Campus" article controversy and resulting legal battles titled Retraction premiered in New York City at Theatre Row.