Where are Michelle Hadley, Angela and Ian Diaz now? Here's what happened to ‘A Toxic Love Story’ figures
Netflix’s ‘A Toxic Love Story’, released on July 22, is currently one of the platform’s most talked-about true-crime releases. The documentary revisits a disturbing case that initially looked like a cyberstalking campaign carried out by a jealous ex-fiancée. Investigators later discovered that the people claiming to be victims were actually the ones behind the scheme. The series centers on former U.S. Marshal deputy Ian Diaz and his then-wife Angela Connell Diaz. They falsely accused Diaz’s former fiancée Michelle Hadley of sending threatening messages and orchestrating “r*pe fantasy” attacks through Craigslist. According to the documentary and a Department of Justice press release, Diaz and Connell told investigators they were being terrorized by an online user named 'Lilithistruth,' who allegedly posted fake Craigslist ads meant to lure men into ass*ulting Connell.
Authorities initially focused on Diaz’s ex-fiancée Hadley, who was arrested in July 2016 and spent 88 days in jail with bail set at $1 million. But the investigation later revealed Diaz and Connell had staged the harassment and impersonated Hadley online to frame her, allegedly due to a dispute over their shared condo. So, where are they all now? Connell was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, in January 2017, according to Orange County court records. She faced 10 felony charges and pleaded guilty that same month to all counts, including fraud, false imprisonment, and filing a false police report. In October 2017, a judge sentenced her to five years in state prison. The documentary reveals that Diaz annulled their marriage in April 2017, after which Connell began using her maiden name. She reported to prison in January 2018. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation confirmed to USA TODAY that Connell received 342 days of pre-sentence credit.
She was released to parole supervision in July 2020 and officially completed parole on July 19, 2021. After leaving prison, Connell moved away from California. As per the website of the company she works at, she now lives on Indigenous lands in Phoenix, Arizona, and works as a director at an abortion hotline. She chose not to participate in the Netflix documentary, so viewers do not hear her side of the story in the film.
Diaz’s legal troubles continued long after Connell entered prison. Federal authorities arrested him in May 2021. Nearly two years later, a federal jury convicted him of participating in the scheme to frame Hadley and related crimes connected to the cyberstalking operation. According to a Department of Justice news release, Diaz was sentenced to 10 years and one month in federal prison for conspiracy to commit cyberstalking, perjury, and obstruction of justice. He is currently incarcerated at FMC Fort Worth, a federal medical facility and detention center in Texas. Federal Bureau of Prisons records list his projected release date as January 31, 2031.
Hadley’s life took a different direction after she was cleared of all wrongdoing. Once the case against her collapsed in January 2017, Hadley filed lawsuits against the City of Anaheim, Ian Diaz, and Angela Connell. According to court documents, the city reached a settlement with her in 2021 for an undisclosed amount. Hadley later focused on rebuilding her life. She completed a master’s degree, moved to New York City, and worked in marketing. The documentary notes that she lived in New York for approximately six years before leaving the state. She is now raising her young daughter and chooses to keep details about her personal life private. Hadley has not publicly revealed her current city of residence or her child’s name.
