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What the 'Dirty John' characters look like with their real-life counterparts

Breakdown includes look at Cash the Australian shepherd

What the 'Dirty John' characters look like with their real-life counterparts

Breakdown includes look at Cash the Australian shepherd

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What the 'Dirty John' characters look like with their real-life counterparts

Breakdown includes look at Cash the Australian shepherd

Spoilers ahead."Dirty John," Bravo鈥檚 new true crime show based on the Wondery/Los Angeles Times podcast of the same name, is a stunning reminder that you can鈥檛 be too careful when it comes to online dating 鈥� or meeting someone new anywhere, for that matter. The show, which premiered Nov. 25, derives from L.A. Times reporter Christopher Goffard鈥檚 detailed research on what happened to Newport Beach-based businesswoman Debra Newell when she fell in love with a man named John Meehan, who turned out to be a con artist. In 2016, Debra鈥檚 daughter, Terra, stabbed John in self-defense after he showed up with a knife and attacked her in the parking lot of her apartment building. He died four days later.On Nov. 13, the real life Debra and her family walked the red carpet for the world premiere of "Dirty John," which resulted in this:Below is a breakdown of what some of the major characters of "Dirty John" look like in real life:Debra Newell (Connie Britton)The "Friday Night Lights" and "American Horror Story" alumna was one of the first stars to be attached to the Bravo adaptation. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have to be convinced at all, because I was really pulled in by the story,鈥� Connie said at Vulture Festival Nov. 17. 鈥淎nd I was intrigued it had already been pulled into the zeitgeist 鈥� I just jumped right in.鈥� The real Debra鈥檚 interior design business is called Ambrosia Interior Design (it鈥檚 Madeira on the show), a company she founded in the 1980s. She鈥檚 currently listed as the president and owner of Ambrosia Home, based in Nevada. John Meehan (Eric Bana) Per Christopher Goffard鈥檚 reporting and the podcast, the real John had 鈥渟educed, swindled and terrorized multiple women鈥� from 2005 to 2014, from when he was released from prison in Michigan until he met Debra. In most of these encounters, court records showed, he posed as a doctor when in reality, he was a former nurse anesthetist who was hooked on surgical painkillers.Arlane Hart, Debra鈥檚 mother (Jean Smart)The real Arlane had lost a daughter more than 30 years before the events of "Dirty John." Part of the podcast鈥檚 fourth episode, 鈥淔orgiveness,鈥� dives into Arlane鈥檚 grieving process following the death of Debra鈥檚 older sister, Cindi, who was killed by her own husband, Billy Vickers, with a gun.Veronica Newell, Debra鈥檚 daughter (Juno Temple) For the show, Bravo changed the name of Debra鈥檚 other daughter from Jacquelyn to Veronica. Jacquelyn has apparently taken a back seat throughout the TV show鈥檚 development compared to Debra and Terra, who appeared on various programs earlier this year to promote their "Dateline NBC" special and was recently on E! ahead of the Bravo show鈥檚 premiere.In May 2018, Laura Richards, a criminal behavior analyst and host of the podcast "Real Crime Profile," shared this photo of herself and a woman identified as Jacquelyn (on the left):Terra Newell, Debra鈥檚 daughter (Julia Garner)In a January 2018 interview with Meghan Kelly, the real Terra explained how she defended herself against John in her building鈥檚 parking lot. It wasn鈥檛 self-defense training (she had never taken any classes up until that moment), but her love for "The Walking Dead" that taught her the moves.鈥淲hen I got the knife from him, I just stabbed him,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 give it a second thought, I just thought, 'It鈥檚 him or me.' And then also, the last one was to the head, and I think that鈥檚 like, 'Oh, the zombie kill.'鈥� Cash, Terra鈥檚 Australian shepherdAs detailed in the podcast鈥檚 final episode, the dog was with Terra on the day John attacked her in 2016 and even 鈥渓unged for鈥� John鈥檚 ankles during the struggle. After the incident, Cash was allowed to ride in the ambulance with Terra and was with her throughout her recovery.These days, you can find Cash hamming it up on his own Instagram page (managed by Terra). He even got a sweet profile on "Dateline."

Spoilers ahead.

"," Bravo鈥檚 new true crime show based on the Wondery/Los Angeles Times podcast of the same name, is a stunning reminder that you can鈥檛 be too careful when it comes to online dating 鈥� or meeting someone new anywhere, for that matter.

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The show, which premiered Nov. 25, derives from L.A. Times reporter Christopher Goffard鈥檚 detailed research on what happened to Newport Beach-based businesswoman Debra Newell when she fell in love with a man named John Meehan, who turned out to be a con artist. In 2016, Debra鈥檚 daughter, Terra, stabbed John in self-defense after he showed up with a knife and attacked her in the parking lot of her apartment building. He died four days later.

On Nov. 13, the real life Debra and her family walked the red carpet for the world premiere of "Dirty John," which resulted in this:

dirty john real life
Getty

Below is a breakdown of what some of the major characters of "Dirty John" look like in real life:

Debra Newell (Connie Britton)

debra newell dirty john
Bravo | Getty

The "Friday Night Lights" and "American Horror Story" alumna was one of the first stars to be attached to the Bravo adaptation.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 have to be convinced at all, because I was really pulled in by the story,鈥� Connie said at Nov. 17. 鈥淎nd I was intrigued it had already been pulled into the zeitgeist 鈥� I just jumped right in.鈥�

The real Debra鈥檚 interior design business is called Ambrosia Interior Design (it鈥檚 Madeira on the show), a company she founded in the 1980s. She鈥檚 currently listed as the president and owner of , based in Nevada.


John Meehan (Eric Bana)

dirty john
Bravo | Michigan Department of Corrections

Per , the real John had 鈥渟educed, swindled and terrorized multiple women鈥� from 2005 to 2014, from when he was released from prison in Michigan until he met Debra. In most of these encounters, court records showed, he posed as a doctor when in reality, he was a former nurse anesthetist who was hooked on surgical painkillers.


Arlane Hart, Debra鈥檚 mother (Jean Smart)

dirty john cast in real life
Bravo | Getty

The real Arlane had lost a daughter more than 30 years before the events of "Dirty John." Part of the podcast鈥檚 fourth episode, 鈥�,鈥� dives into Arlane鈥檚 grieving process following the death of Debra鈥檚 older sister, Cindi, who was killed by her own husband, Billy Vickers, with a gun.


Veronica Newell, Debra鈥檚 daughter (Juno Temple)

juno temple
Bravo

For the show, Bravo changed the name of Debra鈥檚 other daughter from Jacquelyn to Veronica. Jacquelyn has apparently taken a back seat throughout the TV show鈥檚 development compared to Debra and Terra, who appeared on various programs earlier this year to promote their "Dateline NBC" special and ahead of the Bravo show鈥檚 premiere.

In May 2018, Laura Richards, a criminal behavior analyst and host of the podcast "Real Crime Profile," shared this photo of herself and a woman identified as Jacquelyn (on the left):


Terra Newell, Debra鈥檚 daughter (Julia Garner)

dirty john terra
Bravo | Getty

In a January 2018 , the real Terra explained how she defended herself against John in her building鈥檚 parking lot. It wasn鈥檛 self-defense training (she had never taken any classes up until that moment), but her love for "The Walking Dead" that taught her the moves.

鈥淲hen I got the knife from him, I just stabbed him,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 give it a second thought, I just thought, 'It鈥檚 him or me.' And then also, the last one was to the head, and I think that鈥檚 like, 'Oh, the zombie kill.'鈥�


Cash, Terra鈥檚 Australian shepherd

As detailed in the podcast鈥檚 , the dog was with Terra on the day John attacked her in 2016 and even 鈥渓unged for鈥� John鈥檚 ankles during the struggle. After the incident, Cash was allowed to ride in the ambulance with Terra and was with her throughout her recovery.

These days, you can find Cash hamming it up on his own (managed by Terra). He even got a sweet profile on "."