The tragic story of Gabby Petito has made its way to the big screen, as her case has been turned into a documentary. The late influencer’s story gained widespread attention in 2021 when she embarked on a cross-country road trip with her fiancé, Brian Laundrie. Her death was ruled a homicide, and Brian was named a person of interest before later dying by suicide.
According to USA Today, Netflix noted “The series captures the reality of a young woman enmeshed in an abusive relationship behind closed doors — even as she put on a happy, ‘Insta-perfect’ face for social media.” The documentary aims to shed light on the dangers of domestic violence and raise awareness for victims in similar situations.
While Gabby’s case sparked major discussions online, find out how you can watch the documentary and learn more about her story below.
The documentary was released on Monday, February 17, 2025. Gabby’s family was heavily involved in the project, continuing their advocacy for domestic violence awareness through the Gabby Petito Foundation.
Speaking to Netflix about keeping Gabby’s story alive, her father, Joe Petito, shared, ”Even in public, people will come up to you and just hug you…. You know where it’s coming from. I’m a product of domestic violence. Tara [his wife, Gabby’s step mother] experienced domestic violence in a previous relationship. When you don’t understand or know where to go when those situations arise, hearing something like Gabby’s story is eye-opening. The reason we’re doing this is to get that information out there for as many people as possible, because a lot of people don’t know where to go when they’re in that situation.”
The three-part docuseries is available for streaming on Netflix. The episodes are titled “We Bought a Van,” “Where Is Gabby?,” and “Burn After Reading.”
