Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: Film and TV, Netflix, True crime
Lucy Devine
Denise Huskins, whose story is at the centre of new Netflix true-crime series, has issued a warning to viewers before watching.
Denise, who was labelled 'the real life Gone Girl' after she was kidnapped in March 2015, took to social media prior to the show arriving on the streaming platform.
The story follows Denise and her boyfriend Aaron Quinn, who were hanging out at his home in Vallejo when their lives took a dramatic turn.
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The couple, who are physical therapists, went to bed that evening, but were awoken in the middle of the night by intruders.
Two men broke into the home, tied them up and forced them into a closet where they were drugged and blindfolded.
Denise was kidnapped and held for ransom, while Aaron was left sedated in the living room.
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But when Aaron reported the crime, police ended up suspecting him instead.
Even when Denise was released two days later, after being drugged and raped by her abductor - police still claimed the story didn't make sense.
You can watch a trailer below:
People have been blown away by the story, with many horrified over how the couple were treated.
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Denise's story became known as the Gone Girl kidnapping, after earning comparisons to the book and movie, which tells the story of a woman who faked her own kidnapping.
Discussing the show, Denise urged viewers to remember the story isn't simply 'just another true crime'.
She highlighted the bigger issues at play, such as judgement, victim blaming and misrepresentation.
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"I can’t believe it’s coming so soon. It’s been a long journey to get here, especially in finding the right team to share our story," she wrote.
"Tune in on Jan 17th, and you’ll see this is not 'just another True Crime'.
"This goes way beyond just us as victims, and this one case. The bigger themes of rushing to judgement, victim blaming, misrepresentation in the media, false accusations fueled by tunnel vision and confirmation bias in law enforcement, and the dangerous tactics they use to try to get a false confession, are sadly all too common in our world.
"But perhaps more importantly, it’s a story of hope when all feels lost. I believe anyone who’s overcome a trauma can connect with different parts of this series and what we went through. We look forward to having you watch. "
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Denise and Aaron were finally vindicated when police were investigating a similar case and found Aaron's stolen laptop in the possession of a man named Matthew Muller.
Muller ended up being sentenced to 40 years in prison, meanwhile the couple sued the City of Vallejo for defamation and won a $2.5 million settlement.
You can catch all three episodes of American Nightmare on Netflix now.