Surviving Dirty John: My True Story of Love, Lies, and Murder

by Debra Newell, M. William Phelps

Overview

NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARDS WINNER — TRUE CRIME

Now that articles, podcasts, newsmagazines, and miniseries have had their sensationalistic say, Debra Newell, the one woman who truly knows what it was like to survive “Dirty John” Meehan shares the full story—the reality—with the world for the first time.

Debra Newell is nothing if not a survivor. By the time she met John Michael Meehan online, she lived through a near-fatal childhood illness, an attempted rape in her 20s, the traumatic death of her sister at the hands of her brother-in-law, four failed marriages, and a litany of dating disasters. But despite those tragedies, she seemed to have it all: adoring children, a successful business, a fabulous penthouse apartment.

But there was something missing: the blinding, all-consuming love she first read about to occupy her time in her childhood sickbed. And she thought she found it with John Meehan.

More than a tabloid-ready true-crime expose, Debra’s story is one of trauma, denial, and deception. But it is also a relatable, inspirational, and hopeful story of forgiveness and, most of all, love. The lengths to which a woman will go to find—and keep—love; the boundaries children and parents cross to protect and save the people they love; the love one must find for oneself; and the ways the illusion of love can be used to manipulate and hurt.

Told in Debra’s words with the help of New York Times bestselling author M. William Phelps, this book is filled with exclusive stories about Debra and her family, previously unpublished photos, and the unvarnished, unapologetic, and unbelievable reality of Surviving Dirty John.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781953295507
Publisher:	BenBella Books, Inc.
Publication date:	08/31/2021
Pages:	312
Sales rank:	366,793
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Debra Newell is the founder and President of Ambrosia Home, Inc. headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, as well as the founder and former President of the multi-million dollar company, Ambrosia Interior Design, Inc in Orange County, CA.

In October 2017, the Los Angeles Times launched a six-part article series and accompanying podcast created by Wondery, titled Dirty John. Dirty John is a story of love, deceit, denial, revenge and ruin that ultimately leads to a story of survival that chronicled a time in Newell’s life between October 2014 and August 2016. The story was adapted into a miniseries, which premiered on Bravo in November 2018 and on Netflix in February 2019. Newell has been featured in People, US Magazine, Harper Bazaar, Forbes, The New Yorker, Vulture, Refinery29, and Bustle to name a few. Additionally, Newell has made appearances on Dateline NBC, Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, Megan Kelly Today, Inside Evil with Chris Cuomo, Fox News, Oxygen’s Dirty John: The Dirty Truth amongst many other media outlets.

Due to her staggering real-life experiences, Newell now spends much of her time as an advocate for change and awareness helping women caught up in coercive controlling relationships. She is currently working to criminalize coercive control, a form of abuse that often goes unpunished because of the lack of awareness and existing legal ramifications. Los Angeles city prosecutors.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xi

Introduction 1

1 Our Time 5

2 Be Wafer 14

3 Doctor's Orders 24

4 Careless Whisper 29

5 Approachable Dreams 34

6 Second Chances 43

7 Tragic Endings 47

8 Love Is in the Eye of the Beholder 52

9 Evil Seems to Always Survive 59

10 Balboa Island 63

11 A Growing Divide 71

12 The Bully Pulpit 82

13 The Break-In 87

14 I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight 92

15 Hurt People Hurt People 99

16 Silent Night, Holy Hell 105

17 Imposter 109

18 Discrepancies 115

19 He Has a Knife 120

20 Private Eyes Are Watching You 129

21 Murder by Mail 134

22 Killing Is Easy 140

23 "I Could Take Liz Out…" 149

24 Duped 155

25 Elevator Ride 164

26 "John Is Very Dangerous, Debbie" 173

27 Filthy, Dirty, Nasty John 183

28 The Tormentor 189

29 Rap Sheet 194

30 Lies and More Lies 197

31 Game Change 202

32 "I Know You Are Going to Leave Me" 209

33 Happy Anniversary-I Hate You! 214

34 Money-The Root of John's Evil 217

35 A Shark and His Prey 223

36 I Am the Victim 232

37 "You Will Lose" 239

38 Where There's Smoke… 244

39 Laura 249

40 Locked and Loaded 253

41 Dirty John Makes His Move 259

42 Fearless Hero 267

43 Tortured 271

44 No One Dies Alone 277

45 Life Goes On 281

Epilogue: Updates and Important Contact Information for Victims 282

About the Authors 287

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Debra Newell’s journey, her tale of survival, and her openness in sharing her story, is awe inspiring. By helping the world better understand the twisted manipulative power of coercive control, she is helping us all to identify it. By sharing her story, she has created a pathway for communication in a corridor that has for too long been dimly lit.”
—Eric Bana

“Debra is a true survivor. You may think you know her story, but you don’t—and you should. This really could happen to anyone. Coercive control has many guises and faces and is much more common than you think. This book may just save your life.”
—Laura Richards, criminal behavioral analyst, coercive control and stalking expert, formerly with New Scotland Yard

“God bless Debbie Newell, my fellow warrior in the fight against the silent and shame-fueled epidemic of intimate partner violence/domestic violence. God bless you, Debbie, for writing Surviving Dirty John and not being shamed into silence by half-truths and mischaracterizations of your hellish journey with the monster, John Meehan. God bless you for having the strength to survive and become more than a victim, more than a survivor. By having the courage to share your real story in Surviving Dirty John, you are saving many lives and stopping much suffering. I am so proud to call you friend! Well done, Debbie and M. William Phelps!”
—Robin McGraw, author and founder of When Georgia Smiled Foundation

“Debra’s book is a must-read for anyone who has experienced trauma in their life, has loved someone who has experienced trauma, or is in the helping professions working to heal trauma with clients. Her honest and gripping account of her experiences and her inspiring story of recovery will help empower and educate all people about the impact of coercive control and impart important lessons about how to overcome extreme adversities.”
—Dr. Judy Ho, clinical and forensic neuropsychologist, tenured professor, and author of Stop Self-Sabotage

“In her book Surviving Dirty John, Debra Newell has bared her soul to the world, providing intimate details to help other women learn from her experiences and avoid the horror of being manipulated and abused by a partner. Debra has shown us that searching for love can be a dangerous game and we need to always have our eyes wide open and trust our instincts. I have seen the dangers and pitfalls that are out there myself and have written about them as well. This book is both eye-opening and empowering and is a must-read for all women in the dating scene.”
—Tonia DeCosimo, president and editor in chief of P.O.W.E.R and P.O.W.E.R. Magazine, and author of Single and Not Settling: A Journey of Surviving the Dating World