Netflix is making a new documentary series about John Meehan, the conman known as “Dirty John.” The announcement was made on December 4, 2025. This will be a true-crime docuseries. It promises to show the full story behind the man whose crimes shocked America in the 2010s .
The series will not be a scripted drama like past shows. Instead, it will use real interviews, never-before-seen evidence, and testimony from the people who lived through the events . The goal is to go deeper than earlier versions of the story and show a more complete picture of Meehan’s life and crimes .
The Story Behind the “Rom-Con”
John Meehan has been called one of America’s first major “rom-conmen.” This term means he used romance to trick and control people . His main story involves Debra Newell, a successful businesswoman he met on an online dating site in the early 2010s. He presented himself as a perfect match—a doctor who was charming and caring. They moved very quickly into a relationship and marriage .
However, Meehan’s story was a lie. He was not a doctor but a nurse anesthetist with a troubled past. His loving act was a way to get close to Debra and her family. Over time, he became controlling and abusive. He manipulated them emotionally and financially. This pattern of building trust fast and then using it for control is what defined his “rom-con” .
The forthcoming docuseries will weave together never-before-seen archival materials, chilling evidence, and powerful testimony from the women who lived through it all and the investigators who worked to piece together what actually happened .
The situation grew increasingly dangerous, leading to harassment and threats against Debra and her daughters. The story ended in violence in August 2016. Meehan attacked Debra’s daughter, Terra Newell, in a parking lot. She fought back in self-defense, and Meehan later died from his injuries .
From Podcast to TV to New Documentary
The story of “Dirty John” is not new, but this documentary aims to tell it in a new way. It first became widely known through a hit podcast. Journalist Christopher Goffard created the “Dirty John” podcast for the Los Angeles Times and Wondery in October 2017. It was downloaded millions of times in just a few weeks, making it a massive success .
Because the podcast was so popular, it was turned into a scripted TV series. The show, also called Dirty John, first aired on Bravo in November 2018. It later became available to stream on Netflix. The show starred Connie Britton as Debra Newell and Eric Bana as John Meehan . While the show was based on true events, it was a dramatized version. Some details were changed or softened for the purpose of telling a TV story .
This new Netflix project is different. It is a documentary, not a drama. This means there are no actors. The series will feature the real people involved, along with real documents and evidence. The producers say it will be “the definitive documentary series of the man behind the myth” . Its purpose is to remove the fiction and focus on the factual record of what happened .
Who Is Making the Documentary?
The documentary has a strong team behind it. It is being directed by Emma Cooper. The production companies involved are Bunim/Murray Productions, which is part of Banijay Americas, and Empress Films .
The executive producers include Julie Pizzi, Jesse Daniels, and Melissa G. Moore. Melissa G. Moore’s involvement is notable because she is the daughter of a convicted criminal and has personal experience with the impact of crime on families. This suggests the series may handle the subject with a focus on the victims’ perspectives .
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What We Know About Release and Content
As of the announcement in early December 2025, Netflix has not given a specific release date for the docuseries. The official announcement asks people to “check back here for more information about the upcoming docuseries, including information about its release date” .
The series will explore parts of Meehan’s life and crimes that the public may not know. The announcement states that “the full story is more alarming than anyone ever knew” . It will likely cover his earlier life, his methods of manipulation, and the broader impact of his actions on multiple victims .
The story of John Meehan is a clear example of how dangerous manipulative relationships can be. Terms like “gaslighting”—making someone doubt their own reality—were part of his method . By revisiting this story as a documentary, Netflix aims to provide a clearer, fact-based look at how such predators operate and the lasting damage they cause.
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Credits: Netflix Tudum
