Gabby Petito was reported missing on Sept. 11, 2021, and according to the Deseret News, she was declared dead on Sept. 19, 2021. The Deseret News also reported that her then-fiancé Brian Laundrie claimed responsibility for Petito’s death in his notebook. Petito and Laundrie were on a road trip when she was killed.
Only a little over a year after Petito’s death, Lifetime is releasing a movie about Petito’s death. According to the synopsis on IMDb, the movie will follow Petito’s relationship with Laundrie and “what may have gone wrong during their cross-country trip.” Even though the movie is not yet released, it has already faced some criticism.
According to the New York Post, this movie has been “slammed” because some view it as “greedy.” Most of the criticism surrounds how quickly Lifetime made the movie.
There is also criticism online from people who point out that the movie is about real people and not fictional characters.
The New York Post reported that it reached out to Lifetime for comment about whether or not it had attempted to involve Petito’s family, but the article has yet to be updated with a response from Lifetime.
Just last week Petito’s mother posted in honor of Petito — one year after her body was found.
NBC New York reported that the movie was filmed in Utah over the summer and will air on Oct. 1, which is Domestic Violence Awareness Day.