What is the Lifetime movie The Gabby Petito Story about?

If you mention the name Gabby Petito to anyone, it’s more than likely they will recognize it. In September 2021, the 22-year-old travel blogger disappeared. Her case gained massive media and nationwide attention. Almost a year after she went missing, Lifetime is coming out with a new film about the real-life incident titled The Gabby Petito Story.

The young woman’s case gained so much attention due to social media, police body camera video footage, 911 emergency call recordings, and eyewitness accounts between Petito and her fiancé Brian Laundrie.

Beginning July 2, 2021, the couple went on a cross country trip that was supposed to last four months, but Petito disappeared in late August. Her parents reported her missing in September of that year. Petito died due to manual strangulation, which Laundrie admitted to in his notebook found near his remains after he shot himself.

The Lifetime movie stars Skyler Samuels as Gabby Petito, Evan Hall as Brian Laundrie, and Thora Birch as Gabby’s mom, Nichole Schmidt.

The Gabby Petito Story Lifetime release date

The Gabby Petito Story will air Saturday, Oct. 1 at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime. It will then be followed by a one-hour documentary, Beyond the Headlines: Gabby Petito, at 10 p.m. ET.

What is the Lifetime movie The Gabby Petito Story about?

The film will portray Gabby and Brian’s complicated relationship and show what may have gone wrong during the trip that resulted in the young woman’s murder. The production sees their “doomed” love story, the warning signs that her life was in danger, the search and eventual discovery of Gabby’s body, and Brian’s suicide.

The movie is part of Lifetime’s “Stop Violence Against Women” public affairs initiative. The network is partnered with non-profit organization, National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and their helpline to provide resources for women.

The Gabby Petito Story airs Saturday, Oct. 1 at 8 p.m. ET on Lifetime.