Love is blind. Never has a statement been more true when it comes to the chilling new Netflix series Dirty John. The US true crime story is based on the podcast series by the same name presented by Christopher Goffard.
But here's where things get interesting. During an interview with ABC News in January, the real Debra Newell shared her story of how she fell in love with a violent conman that inspired a podcast, TV series, and, now a documentary.
"I was worried that John was going to kill me to try and get the money because I'd married him," said Newell. The interview further reveals John's different personas and various social security numbers he used to con his way into unsuspecting women's lives.
But soon, their love stories turned sour as he revealed his darker side. "He said I was a wh*re and a b*tch, and was going to pay for what I did," said one of his victims once she decided to press charges against him.
Even Newell feared for her life, saying: "He got into my car, started it and set it on fire."