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Dirty John in the Media: Beyond the LA Times

Meredith Quill

By Meredith Quill
in Dirty John

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ElectricBoogaloo

ElectricBoogaloo

FYI - there will be a two hour documentary on Oxygen next Monday (January 14) called Dirty John, the Dirty Truth.

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Oxygen Media, the destination for high-quality crime programming, will premiere a two-hour documentary, "Dirty John, The Dirty Truth" on Monday, January 14 at 8:00pm ET/PT. A companion to Bravo's hit scripted anthology, the special goes beyond the articles and podcasts made famous by Los Angeles Times reporter Christopher Goffard, and traces con-man John Meehan's trail of manipulation that started long before he met Debra Newell. Through the eyes of the real people he deceived, the documentary takes a deep dive into his troubled past, his altercations with law enforcement, and features exclusive interviews with former girlfriends who speak out for the very first time.

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Pickles

Pickles

Debra is on Andy Cohen’s show tonight behind the bar. She said the Bravo show was not showing the ‘romance’ of her relationship with John. Omg, what is wrong with her? Connie Britton definitely nailed her demeanor. She seems tranquilized. And the breathy, baby voice. 

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QuinnM

QuinnM

3 hours ago, yourmomiseasy said:

Shit, I hate that guy (mainly because his stupid show sucks me in), but I think I might have to tivo and watch.

Well you read my mind.  I can’t remember the last time I suffered through an hour of Dr. Phil.  But I’ve set the TiVo so I guess I’m watching.

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Barb23

Barb23

39 minutes ago, hoosiermom said:

If you don’t know how this ends, DON’T watch Dr. Phil today. He knew the final episode of the Bravo series was airing this coming Sunday and still happily let his guest Debra, tell the entire story. What an ass.

Thanks @hoosiermom for posting this. (I brought it over from the Chivalry episode thread.)  It may be too late for some  but may be  helpful for the ones who recorded it. 

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HunterHunted

HunterHunted

On 12/26/2018 at 7:29 PM, Ohwell said:

I'm assuming Debra gets a cut for this show?  She doesn't deserve a dime.

Probably not. Usually what happens is that a producer will option life story rights. There is usually some sort of one time consideration or payment for the length of the option, but not often a percentage of profits or points unless the grantee is relatively famous and that's only because the grantee has enough social capital to ask for points. However, you often don't have to option life story rights for a public figure because a decent portion of their life has already been made public and wouldn't constitute an invasion of privacy. Think of all of those garbage Lifetime movies about Brittney Spears or the Untold Story of (Insert Title of 90s Show).

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/life-story-rights-whats-whats-103334

https://www.marklitwak.com/purchasing-life-story-rights.html

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newyawk

newyawk

(edited)

For those of you that read the Daily Mail, they have a front page article on Dirty John with the big spoiler in the headline. So if you don't know the outcome, you might want to avoid that website today.

 

For those who do know the outcome, here's the link:

Spoiler

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6584411/Dirty-John-victim-recalls-moment-daughter-called-screaming-killed-sociopath-step-father.html

On 12/26/2018 at 8:29 PM, Ohwell said:

I'm assuming Debra gets a cut for this show?  She doesn't deserve a dime.

Why not? 

Edited by newyawk
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mythoughtis

mythoughtis

(edited)
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I’m sure Debra and her daughter are getting paid for appearances on things like Dr Phil, etc. 

Just think of all the publicity she’s getting for her business, future book and public speaking tour. I can just picture her giving speeches at colleges. 

Edited by mythoughtis
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newyawk

newyawk

It's Debra's story, her daughters' story too, none of them were criminals or grifters.  John is the only bad guy here. I see no problem with Debra and daughters all getting something from the TV movie.

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Door County Cherry

Door County Cherry

On 1/12/2019 at 12:50 PM, biakbiak said:

I assumed the producers optioned the rights to the podcast which given that it was peodiced by the LA Times probably didn’t pay the people they interviewed.

True, although I wouldn't be surprised if they paid Debra/family in order to nail down exclusive access to her/her story and any additional information.  

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yourmomiseasy

yourmomiseasy

On 1/12/2019 at 10:39 AM, mythoughtis said:

I’m sure Debra and her daughter are getting paid for appearances on things like Dr Phil, etc. 

Just think of all the publicity she’s getting for her business, future book and public speaking tour. I can just picture her giving speeches at colleges. 

I can't picture Debra public speaking, not for lack of wanting, but because she seems so damn dim.

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hottesthw

hottesthw

The one kid's Instagram is just one promo for the show after another. The whole thing just seems slimy to me. Your mother puts you through months and months of hell, basically abandons you for her 5th/6th abusive husband, you end up killing the man while he attacks you, and now you're all smiles holding a Dirty John mug "don't forget to tune in at 10pm".

Something is wrong with this whole clan.

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VagueDisclaimer

VagueDisclaimer

6 hours ago, hottesthw said:

The one kid's Instagram is just one promo for the show after another. The whole thing just seems slimy to me. Your mother puts you through months and months of hell, basically abandons you for her 5th/6th abusive husband, you end up killing the man while he attacks you, and now you're all smiles holding a Dirty John mug "don't forget to tune in at 10pm".

Something is wrong with this whole clan.

She was severely traumatized and her entire life and goals changed because of it. She went through mountains of therapy to get to this point of being able to distance herself and engage in the story in a more practical manner. She can create an entire instagram about this story and i’ll give her several gold stars for it. She survived and she found a way to not have this completely destroy her life. Nothing slimy about Terra whatsoever, imo.

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Duke2801

Duke2801

Watching the Oxygen show now. Let’s just say that the fictional Terra’s voice is a VAST improvement over the real Terra. Yikes. 

On 1/12/2019 at 1:38 PM, Ohwell said:

Because incredibly stupid people shouldn't get paid for their incredible stupidity.  JMHO.

Of course Debra made some poor decisions. But I think it’s also important to keep in mind how convincing and deceptive that sociopaths like John are. He deceived dozens of women over the years. Accomplished, successful women. They weren’t all dumb and desperate. 

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Showthyme

Showthyme

I hope that Bravo did not portray Debra's mom correctly. Otherwise, that women is delusional and awful. I wanted to hear Debra's mom say that she had to forgive so that her grandson could maintain a relationship with his only living parent. Still, that would not have made it okay but at least it wouldn't seem like men were more valuable than women in that family. 

This series was just long enough. Another episode and I would have needed a new screen for my TV. I just couldn't take it anymore. It was maddening to hear Debra's surprise at John dating so soon after their breakup. I would have been relieved that John moved his attention elsewhere. 

Terra is the hero in this story but I cannot stand to listen to her. 

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biakbiak

biakbiak

2 hours ago, Showthyme said:

wanted to hear Debra's mom say that she had to forgive so that her grandson could maintain a relationship with his only living parent. Still, that would not have made it okay but at least it wouldn't seem like men were more valuable than women in that family. 

That isn’t what happened and I don’t think either of her grandsons (there are two) have a relationship with their father. 

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CaliCheeseSucks

CaliCheeseSucks

4 hours ago, VagueDisclaimer said:

Still so much denial.

From having first listened to the podcast and then the Dateline interviews, *and* then watched the series and now the Oxygen special... sorry Debra, but I thought you sounded dopey and desperate all on your own and the series just nailed it.

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Barb23

Barb23

Looks like Debra & Terra are on the talk show circuits.  Surprise,  surprise. 

Just saw a commercial for them being on Access tonight Tues 1/15.  Its being shown on my local NBC channel at 7:30 pm.  I'm on the east coast. 

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mythoughtis

mythoughtis

On 6/24/2019 at 11:09 PM, Door County Cherry said:

She's announcing this six weeks after starting to date him?  Oh honey, no. (Normally, I'd be all "live and let live" but with her history?)

Not only announcing... she’s traveling out of the USA with him. 

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Door County Cherry

Door County Cherry

I knew they were going to do a second season but I was hoping they'd bring another podcast to life.  I'm disappointed that they're doing Betty Broderick.  There's already a pretty definitive movie about that case. I get that people have the right to retell that story and it's fine but connecting it to Dirty John feels disappointing to me.  

Good cast, though. 

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biakbiak

biakbiak

9 hours ago, Valny said:

Did anyone see this today? I was like, what the hell is this! The story is over, there can't be another season of Dirty John!  Turns out they were just using the name, which I don't think is a great idea, but whatever, and it will be a different real life case.

Yeah when the show was first announced they stated that it was going to be multiple seasons each of a different case which is why I though it was stupid to name it Dirty John and should have done an overall title with different season titles like American Horror Story.

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mythoughtis

mythoughtis

(edited)
On 9/9/2019 at 10:05 PM, Door County Cherry said:

I knew they were going to do a second season but I was hoping they'd bring another podcast to life.  I'm disappointed that they're doing Betty Broderick.  There's already a pretty definitive movie about that case. I get that people have the right to retell that story and it's fine but connecting it to Dirty John feels disappointing to me.  

Good cast, though. 

I agree.  I won’t be watching it as that story is well known.  Taking dramatic license with it won’t enhance it.  I’d be Interested in hearing about the way the kids lives turned out( there were kids, right? ) 

Lets’ hope they don’t choose Amy Fisher and Joey Buttafouco for season 3. 

Edited by mythoughtis
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palmaire

palmaire

I'm on the fence about watching season two because I'm tired of the case, but I'm interested to see what tack the producers take.

Will Broderick herself be portrayed as the straight up bad guy/Dirty John character, or will the audience be expected to feel sympathy for her because of her ex-husband's continued legal and emotional manipulations?

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Chaos Theory

Chaos Theory

(edited)

Ryan Murphy retelling the OJ trialwas hardly a new thing and yet the show won a ton of awards.  

It all really depends on the angle the show goes with.   This actually does have the potential to be a fascinating story about a divorce that got way out of control.

Edited by Chaos Theory
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bluphoenix451

bluphoenix451

6 hours ago, Chaos Theory said:

Ryan Murphy retelling the OJ trialwas hardly a new thing and yet the show won a ton of awards.  

It all really depends on the angle the show goes with.   This actually does have the potential to be a fascinating story about a divorce that got way out of control.

Agreed. I'd love to see a version that showed more of the things that Dan was doing. Make no mistake Betty was wrong and awful for what she did to Dan, his wife, and her kids, but I would like to see a telling that doesn't make it look like Betty just lost it cause her husband left her. I love the Meredith Baxter movie about this, but it left me with the impression that cheating aside Dan was just a totally wronged party. I'd like to see a version that shows him warts and all and shows that victims are victims even if they aren't saints. 

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AuntieDiane6

AuntieDiane6

(edited)
Quote

Ryan Murphy retelling the OJ trialwas hardly a new thing and yet the show won a ton of awards.  

And it was REALLY GOOD. The only flaw was that Cuba Gooding Jr. was totally miscast.  

Quote

I love the Meredith Baxter movie about this, but it left me with the impression that cheating aside Dan was just a totally wronged party.

I read the book "Until the Twelfth of Never" and it appears Dan just wanted to move on but Betty was just so bitter that he ended up dealing with a crazy woman.  Even now, she could have been out of prison if she just would say she was sorry!  Parole keeps getting denied because she won't say it....  

Edited by AuntieDiane6
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nlkm9

nlkm9

On 1/14/2019 at 8:55 PM, Duke2801 said:

Watching the Oxygen show now. Let’s just say that the fictional Terra’s voice is a VAST improvement over the real Terra. Yikes. 

Of course Debra made some poor decisions. But I think it’s also important to keep in mind how convincing and deceptive that sociopaths like John are. He deceived dozens of women over the years. Accomplished, successful women. They weren’t all dumb and desperate. 

Yes but not all of them hAve been married 4 times. Seeing the real her i would say she is still caught up in the romance of it. I saw terra on tv and she has a very odd way of speaking and has very very bad fillers and it was very distracting ( i know that’s mean, i wonder if she is so insecure and that’s why she has gone over the top with that). Yet i think what she did was so heroic and the way she fought back was so amazing i truly hope she is truly happy - i think it may take years . I did. Not know the other daughter chose to be private. I just can’t pull up any sympathy for the mom. The girls, yes. I think Connie Britton really nailed her.

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nlkm9

nlkm9

On 9/24/2019 at 10:24 PM, AuntieDiane6 said:

And it was REALLY GOOD. The only flaw was that Cuba Gooding Jr. was totally miscast.  

I read the book "Until the Twelfth of Never" and it appears Dan just wanted to move on but Betty was just so bitter that he ended up dealing with a crazy woman.  Even now, she could have been out of prison if she just would say she was sorry!  Parole keeps getting denied because she won't say it....  

Oh those movies and books were fascinating!! I think the husband used his legal expertise to torture her and she snapped. Sad and fascinating story. I think the husband drove her to the brink and honestly , he was a real jerk ! He seemed to delight in tormenting her and she was off her rocker. I feel very sorry for the children and families .

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