Inside Dying For Sex's true story as Disney+ drama inspired by real-life Molly and Nikki and their hit podcast

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Dying For Sex.

Dying For Sex has just dropped on Disney+ with subscribers gearing up to step into the real-life worlds of Molly Kochan and Nikki Boyer.

Disney+ released the eight-part comedy-drama Dying For Sex on Friday, 4th April, telling the true story of Molly Kochan, portrayed by five-time Academy Award nominee Michelle Williams.

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The series is based on the Wanderly podcast of the same name which Molly recorded before she was hospitalised with her best friend Nikki Boyer, played by Jenny Slate in the series, in late 2018.

Molly spoke candidly about her numerous casual sexual experiences following her terminal cancer diagnosis, stating: “What are [they] going to do to me? Kill me?” she said in one episode. “I’m dying.”

When Molly had to remain in hospital, she wrote her memoir Screw Cancer: Becoming Whole, which was released posthumously along with the Dying For Sex podcast.

Nikki was by her side throughout the entire ordeal since her diagnosis and was holding her hand when she passed away in 2019.

Molly and Nikki, who served as an executive producer on Disney+’s adaptation of Dying For Sex, became friends in 2000 when they attended a Los Angeles drama school.

Nikki told The Times that while Molly was a “wallflower”, she was “vying for attention” but their friendship began to blossom after their drama teacher partnered them up together.

Nikki was also there when Molly met her husband who she went on to be with for 15 years, and while he is named as Steve in the show, his actual identity has been kept anonymous.

It was in 2005 that Molly found a lump in her breast but her doctor didn’t believe it was cancer due to her being just 33-years-old and so her diagnosis wasn't received until six years later.

She went through chemotherapy, radiotherapy, as well as a double mastectomy and a breast reconstruction but it was in 2015 that she began experiencing hip pain.

Molly was told that this was because the cancer had spread to her bones and was now terminal.

This diagnosis prompted Molly to leave her husband of 15 years and go on a “sexual quest”, finding out what she liked in the bedroom.

The idea then for the podcast reportedly came during a lunch with the two friends in 2018 when Molly opened up about her sexual activities, including passionately kissing a man at a doughnut shop.

Opening up to Time, Nikki explained that her late best friend’s exploration was about “reclaiming her body”, stating: “When Molly felt out of control, she did really, really fun stuff with men.”

She then added: “[Molly] wanted to fall in love, and she did; she fell in love with herself.

“So whatever is on your list of things to do before you die—you better get started.”

Dying For Sex is available to watch on Disney+.