Gabby Petito movie is being slammed as 'exploitative'

A new film about the life and death of Gabby Petito has been slammed as 'exploitative'. See what people are talking about:

Petito and her fiancé Brian Laundrie had been driving around national parks in the US in their van in August 2021, all the while documenting their trip on social media.

After Petito's family didn't hear from the 22-year-old for a couple of weeks they reported her missing on 11 September, and her disappearance attracted worldwide media attention.

Laundrie then disappeared on 14 September and Petito's body was discovered on 19 September on the edge of Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, which the couple had visited.

A huge manhunt culminated in the unearthing of Laundrie's remains on 20 October in the Carlton Reserve wilderness park, near the Laundries' home.

The tragic tale will now be retold in The Gabby Petito Story, which is set to premiere tomorrow (1 October) - but a lot of people think it is too much, too soon.

Commenting on social media, one person said: "I can't believe Lifetime is already about to air a Gabby Petito movie.

"It JUST happened a year ago and they already planned, wrote, and filmed a movie? I highly doubt the family gave their permission. How f***ed up is that?"

Another added: "I feel that instead of Lifetime doing a movie about the murder of Gabby Petito, they can just invest in large vats of salt which they can then pour directly into the very raw and open wounds of Gabby's friends and family who are still grieving losing her a little over a year ago."

A third wrote: "Like they really couldn't wait a few years?? At least??

"The family is still grieving, there's still lawsuits going on, everyone saw it unfold in real time, and these dips***s really green lit and casted and filmed a whole a** MOVIE??"

LADbible has contacted Lifetime for comment.

Discovered along with 23-year-old Laundrie's remains last October were a revolver, a backpack and a notebook. Medical examiners determined Laundrie died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Photos of the notebook, first published by Fox News, show Laundrie confessing to Gabby's killing, which he said he did out of 'mercy'.

"I ended her life," he wrote. "I thought it was merciful, that it is what she wanted, but I see now all the mistakes I made. I panicked. I was in shock."

He went on to describe her death as an 'unexpected tragedy', claiming Gabby got injured one night as they tried to cross a stream.

He said she had a 'small bump on her forehead that eventually got larger' as well as other injuries, and she was 'begging for an end to her pain'.

He added: "From the moment I decided, took away her pain, I knew I couldn't go on without her." 

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Topics: Film and TV, Gabby Petito, Crime, True crime

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey