14 episodes

All episodes are available for free, with remastered ad-free episodes available for Wondery+ subscribers.Debra Newell is a successful interior designer. She meets John Meehan, a handsome man who seems to check all the boxes: attentive, available, just back from a year in Iraq with Doctors Without Borders. But her family doesn’t like John, and they get entangled in an increasingly complex web of love, deception, forgiveness, denial, and ultimately, survival. Reported and hosted by Christopher Goffard from the L.A. Times.

Dirty John Los Angeles Times | Wondery

    • True Crime
    • 4.6 • 40.9K Ratings

All episodes are available for free, with remastered ad-free episodes available for Wondery+ subscribers.Debra Newell is a successful interior designer. She meets John Meehan, a handsome man who seems to check all the boxes: attentive, available, just back from a year in Iraq with Doctors Without Borders. But her family doesn’t like John, and they get entangled in an increasingly complex web of love, deception, forgiveness, denial, and ultimately, survival. Reported and hosted by Christopher Goffard from the L.A. Times.

    The Real Thing

    The Real Thing

    Debra Newell, an interior designer in Southern California, meets John Meehan on an over-50 dating site. His profile looks exciting: Anesthesiologist, divorced, Christian. She falls in love fast. But her children dislike him and warn her that his stories don’t add up. A psychologist advises Debra to set firmer boundaries with her kids, saying she has a right to be happy.

    • 39 min
    Newlyweds

    Newlyweds

    After an intruder appears in John and Debra’s livingroom, John insists that they install security cameras. Debra begins to wonder whether he is spying on her. Her nephew, Shad, looks into John’s background and confronts him with what he finds. Debra’s vision of an idyllic marriage is shattered when she discovers a stash of paperwork in John’s home office.

    • 35 min
    Filthy

    Filthy

    Debra grapples with the question, “Who did I marry?” The story of John’s mysterious past unfolds through the eyes of his sisters, his law-school housemate, his ex-wife, and an Ohio cop who hunted him. The origins of John’s nickname are revealed. Bed-ridden in an Orange County hospital, he pleads with Debra to take him back.

    • 46 min
    Forgiveness

    Forgiveness

    Debra is in hiding, living out of hotels and disguising herself with a wig. Debra fears she will meet the fate of her sister Cindi, who was killed by her husband as she tried to escape a bad marriage. John has explanations for the accusations against him. He weeps and apologizes. Three decades earlier, that had helped Cindi’s killer walk out of prison. 

    • 42 min
    Escape

    Escape

    Episode 5: John finds a lawyer and plots to unleash a blizzard of lawsuits against his enemies, with the aim of proving to Debra that he is the victim, in case after case. The lawyer believes her life is in danger. As her painful isolation from her family deepens, she secretly plans her escape from the marriage. 

    • 46 min
    Terra

    Terra

    Jacquelyn and Terra Newell suspect that John has been watching them. When Jacquelyn tells her mother that he is in town, her mother believes she is mistaken. Jacquelyn warns Terra to carry her pocket knife. But Terra is preoccupied by a country-music concert, and she is watching for the wrong car. 

    • 40 min

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5
40.9K Ratings

40.9K Ratings

Tutor mama ,

Possibly the best True Crime Podcast Ever

There’s a good reason this is often rated #1 for Wondery. It’s so much better than most podcasts.

Her daughter is my hero.

BanjoGrey ,

This podcast has now been altered: I don’t like it

Where did that cool music go? There’s ads in very disruptive places. It sounds different and not in a good way. I know because I’ve listened to it many times. Why mess with a really good thing? I can’t listen to it any more. The impact is gone.
___________

Old review: Dirty John was my first podcast experience, which rather spoiled me for other podcasts. Because the medium is based on listening, it will by its own nature, appeal more to some individuals. I fell in love with Christopher Goddard’s unique voice and delivery, which reminded me of a hard boiled detective, in an old black and white movie. The music appealed to me so much I waited for each incidence of music. The daughters’ voices rankled until they took me over with great affection. Deborah’s voice tickled my senses. I just listened to the whole series again, and all the extras, plus I saw the Bravo series.

Biochemistin ,

Pretty alright

It’s a well-written podcast and an interesting story. I’d say it could have been a bit shorter. Honestly, if they took out more of the victims’ interviews it may have made me sympathize with them more and helped shorten the length. Skipped the lawyer man. He was putting on the dramatics

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