Brian Laundrie‘s family has slammed the Netflix’s documentary about his involvement in Gabby Petito‘s murder — but were his loved ones contacted before the special was released?
“We did reach out to his family. It’s hard to open up about this [topic] for that side of the family. So we made best efforts to reach out to them,” American Murder: Gabby Petito filmmakers Julia Willoughby Nason and Michael Gasparro exclusively told Us Weekly about trying to get in contact with Brian’s parents.
Gasparro noted that they didn’t want to pressure Roberta Laundrie and Christopher Laundrie, adding, “We reached out to the family, to their lawyer and to Brian’s sister. But we respected the fact that they didn’t want to participate and that’s it.”
Roberta and Christopher’s attorney Steven Bertolino shared a statement after the doc was released on Tuesday, February 18.
“One perspective depicted as the ‘truth’ as seen through their lens,” Bertolino said about American Murder: Gabby Petito. “Each side believes their perspective is correct. Hard to see through the lens of the other with all the noise and distrust.”
The lawyer did not specify which details from the documentary were allegedly inaccurate but clarified that “there were no contradictions” made by Roberta and Christopher. (Netflix and Stage 29 Productions have not publicly addressed the response from Roberta and Christopher.)
“The documentary contained many inaccuracies, incorrect juxtapositions of timelines, and misstatements and omissions of fact — perhaps deliberate to capture their ‘truth,’ perhaps due to simple error,” the statement continued. “We all know Brian took Gabby’s life and Brian then took his own as well. Let the parents of both Gabby and Brian mourn them in peace.”
American Murder: Gabby Petito explored Petito and Brian’s tumultuous relationship leading up to their infamous cross country trip. The engaged couple documented their 2021 getaway for Petito’s YouTube channel but she ultimately didn’t return home.
Brian was discovered at his parents’ home in September 2021 amid Petito’s disappearance. He was reported missing more than a week later after Petito was found dead. A high-profile search for Brian ended in October 2021 when his remains were found in Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park.
Based on entries from Brian’s journals, the FBI determined in January 2022 that he was responsible for Petito’s murder. Petito’s parents subsequently filed a civil lawsuit against Brian’s mother and father for allegedly knowing about Petito’s murder and the location of her deceased body.
A judge ruled in favor of Petito’s family in the wrongful death lawsuit in late 2022, awarding $3 million to Petito’s mother as the administrator of her daughter’s estate.
“Christopher and Roberta Laundrie and I participated in mediation with the Petito family and the civil lawsuit has now been resolved. The terms of the resolution are confidential, and we look forward to putting this matter behind us,” read a statement read from the Laundrie family’s attorney at the time.
The Petito family released their own statement in which they expressed that “all parties reluctantly agreed in order to avoid further legal expenses and prolonged personal conflict. Our hope is to close this chapter of our lives to allow us to move on and continue to honor the legacy of our beautiful daughter, Gabby.”
Petito’s mother, Nicole Schmidt, has since said she forgave Brian for her daughter’s death — but not Roberta.
“I speak for myself here when I say Brian, I forgive you,” Schmidt said at CrimeCon in May 2024. “I needed to release myself from the chains of anger and bitterness. And I refuse to let your despicable act define the rest of my life.”
Schmidt alleged that Brian’s parents were “complicit in his cowardly flight from justice” and said their actions “have added salt” to her wounds.
“As for you, Roberta — and I call you out individually because you are evidently the mastermind that shattered your family and mind with your evil ways — I see no empathy in your eyes, no remorse in your heart and no willingness to take responsibility for your actions,” Schmidt continued. “You are the dark. You are the sociopath that everyone fears. The one who appears so innocent and kind, but harbors darkness within your soul. You do not deserve forgiveness. You deserve to be forgotten and dehumanized. You epitomize pure evil.”
Christopher, for his part, denied any knowledge of Gabby’s whereabouts before her body was found.
“He needed help and to get an attorney,” Christopher recalled while speaking under oath for the civil lawsuit, according to WPTV and WFLA. “And I told him, ‘Yeah, I’ll help you. I’ll call Steven Bertolino, and just stay put.’ And then I asked him again, and he just said, ‘Just help me.’ And I said, ‘Yeah, I’m going to, so stay calm. Stay put.’ And he hung up.”
American Murder: Gabby Petito is currently streaming on Netflix.
