New drama series Candy is now available to stream in the UK in full on Disney Plus, after the series first aired on Hulu in the US.
The series was originally set to star The Handmaid’s Tale star Elisabeth Moss, but after she had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts she was replaced in the central role by The Sinner star Jessica Biel.
The drama tells a shocking story of a 1980s housewife who lived her life by the book, but whose entire life changed on one fateful day.
But is Candy on Disney Plus based on a true story? Read on for everything you need to know.
Is Candy based on a true story?
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Yes, it is. Candy is based on the true story of Candy Montgomery, a housewife in Texas who in 1980 was accused of murdering her neighbour, Betty Gore.
The series stars Jessica Biel as Montgomery and Melanie Lynskey as Gore. Meanwhile, Biel’s real-life husband Justin Timberlake makes a recurring appearance in the series as Deputy Steve Deffibaugh.
What is the true story behind Candy?
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Just as in the series, Candy Montgomery is a woman who lived in Texas and met fellow housewife Betty Gore at a church service in the 1970s. The two women became close, as did their families, with their daughters often having sleepovers. Then, Candy allegedly started having an affair with Betty’s husband Allen.
This reportedly lasted for a period of months until Betty had a baby in 1979, at which point Allen ended the affair. It was said that he had attended a church marriage strengthening programme with Betty and wanted to repair their relationship.
Following this, on 13th June 1980, Candy had reportedly offered to take Betty’s daughter to a swimming lesson after the girl had stayed the night at her house.
Candy went to Betty’s house to collect Alisa’s swimsuit, but it was at this point that Betty allegedly confronted her regarding her affair with Allen.
Following this, we don’t know quite what happened. All we do know is that Betty was later found dead, having been struck with an axe 41 times.
When her body was discovered, Candy became the main suspect as she was the last person known to have seen Betty. She was later arrested and charged with Betty’s murder after Allen confessed their affair to the police.
During the trial, Candy was represented by a lawyer from her church, Don Crowder, while he enlisted a psychiatrist and clinical hypnotist, Dr Fred Fason, to uncover her memories of the night.
Fason said that during his sessions with Candy, he discovered she had suffered childhood trauma, which explained her rage as an adult. It was suggested that Betty and Candy had got into a confrontation, during which Betty had allegedly told Candy to “shush”. This had then reportedly triggered a traumatic childhood memory of her mother shushing her.
It was argued that Betty grabbed an axe to attack Candy and that the latter tried to protect herself, snatching the axe in self-defence and subsequently striking Betty. The jury found Candy not guilty of Betty’s murder and she was acquitted.
Since her acquittal, Candy has remained out of the public eye, and it is not currently known exactly what happened to her or where she resides.
You can watch all five episodes of Candy on Disney Plus now – sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year.
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