'Jodi Arias: Cellmate Secrets': Release date, plot, cast and all you need to know about the Lifetime special on the convicted killer
Jodi Arias made headlines in 2008 when she was accused of brutally murdering her former boyfriend Travis Alexander. At the time, the 39-year-old claimed that she killed Alexander in self-defense after he attacked her. Alexander was stabbed 27 times, his throat slit and he was shot in the head at his home in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa. She was convicted in 2013 and sentenced to life in prison in 2015. Earlier in March 2020, the Arizona Court of Appeals upheld Jodi Arias's murder conviction and life sentence, rejecting her claims that she was denied a fair trial.
Now, a new Lifetime special, 'Jodi Arias: Cellmate Secrets' will reveal the stories of two women who were confined with Arias and became her loyal disciples, upending their own lives in the process. Read on to know more details about the special.
Release date
'Jodi Arias: Cellmate Secrets' will air on Lifetime on August 8 at 10/9c.
Plot
Seven years after being convicted of first-degree murder, new disturbing information comes to light about Jodi Arias and the murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Alexander as her former cellmates and closest confidants give firsthand accounts of their time behind bars with the murderer. In an exclusive double interview, Tracy Brown and Donavan Bering revealed details and shocking information that they heard directly from Arias, including a bombshell new theory about the night of Alexander’s murder.
Through cryptic personal never-before-read letters and rare disturbing works of art, Brown and Bering recount stories of how Arias used her sex appeal and manipulation to coerce them and others into becoming loyal followers that would do her bidding in and out of jail. Bering also delves into how Arias cultivated a devoted fanbase to run her social media and gather more fans. As Brown and Bering shed new light on Arias’s case and clear their consciences, they reveal a picture of a woman who will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
Cast
The special features Arias's former cellmates Tracy Brown and Donavan Bering. Tracy Brown, a former inmate at the Estrella prison in Phoenix, shared a cell with Arias for five months. Brown says she allowed Arias to tattoo her six times — including one image on her ankle that the artist herself signed. When asked about permanently sporting the name “Jodi Arias” on her body, Brown calls it “the biggest mistake I ever made.” Donavan Bering was a staunch supporter of Arias, going as far as becoming Arias' mouthpiece after release. Subsequently, she was disallowed from meeting Arias by virtue of being a felon herself.
Producers
'Jodi Arias: Cellmate Secrets' is produced by AMS Pictures with Andy Streitfeld serving as executive producer, Kim Clemons acts as producer, and Brad Osborne directs the special. Mioshi Hill and Gena McCarthy executive produce for Lifetime.
If you like this, you'll like:
'Jodi Arias: An American Murder Mystery'
'Murder First Degree - Inside the Arias Trial'
'Jodi Arias: Dirty Little Secret'
'Amanda Knox'
'Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy'
