An irate Meehan attempted to abduct Terra Newell (as played by Julia Garner in the series) in a parking lot in 2016, leading her to fatally stab him in . My dog's attacking his ankles at this point too, she said. Aug. 20, 2019, marks the three-year anniversary of my attack. Look at him flexing from the red carpet on Instagram. Meehan jumped back into his car and sped away. Newell is using her Instagram account and blog to educate others on gaslighting and coercive control in the wake of her experience. Now she's sharing her tips on how she survived. I bite as hard as I can. Terra, who described herself as a Walking Dead superfan on Instagram, was 25 when she stabbed her mother's conniving fifth husband in an act of self-defense. terranewell Verified. She connected, again and again. If they have a knife, control it in the fight. In an exclusive guest column for PEOPLE, the 27-year-old Newell opens up about her harrowing experience with Meehan, living with PTSD and his abuse of her mother. You can kill their brain even if you don't kill them. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. #survivor #survivorstory #shero #hero #oc #octruecrime #truecrime #truecrimetiktok #truecrimestory #reallife #dirtyjohn #juliagarner #ericbana #conniebritton #healing #mystory #fightback". In that moment, Newell didnt hesitate. We want to hear it. Her Lawyer Says She Has Dissociative Identity Disorder, Mother of Cheerleader Tristyn Bailey, Who Was Stabbed to Death, Says Her Family Was 'Destroyed', Aiden Fucci Gets Life in Prison for Stabbing 13-Year-Old Cheerleader Tristyn Bailey 114 Times, A Woman Had Happy Childhood Memories of Her 'Loving' Dad. As mentioned, Terras mother was just another victim of Johns mischievous ploy. It tells the true story of John Meehan, whose romance with Debra spiralled into a nightmare. Debra Newell and John Meehan. The Orange County native in her interviews has reported that while there were residents from her building watching the whole incident, none tried to intervene as according to Newell, they thought she was going to get killed regardless. And so, for him, he literally lost his control. I'm pushing him off on me but I'm holding his head because I don't want him to bite me, Newell recalled. Meehan, an abusive drug addict and compulsive liar, convinced Debra he was a registered anaesthesiologist at a prestigious hospital, but he was in fact fired, homeless and would steal opioids from his patients. As a refresher, Terra Newell is the heroine of this terrifying true story. To say more, right after she had stabbed John with the knife, her former partner was the first person she had called. A day to educate others on the red flags from master manipulators. By: Heather Newgen Albeit unfortunate, there was money coming in for Newells family from different avenues; especially those closely related to the case. That was shortly after a stint in jail for violating a restraining order against another woman. He looked me in the eyes and said, Do you remember me? And I looked up at him and didn't say anything because I immediately tried to run away from him," Terra said. (His story was later featured in the Investigation Discovery documentary A Murder in Mansfield.) The woman in the video is Terra Newell, the former stepdaughter of con artist John Meehan, the subject of the hugely popular 2017L.A. Times-serialized-investigation-turned-podcast-series-turned-Bravo-TV-showDirty John. The show TikTok Upload Log in said the trauma survivor. I want to send the message and let them know that theyre supported. She sees herself as a representative for family members of survivors of domestic abuse: I really want people to know that this is my reality, she says. But she's in a better place now and working with other survivors and survivors' families. The knife fell by her side during the struggle. Email tips to chris.eberhart@fox.com or on twitter @ChrisEberhart48, Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. terra newell @terranewellsurvivor 147 subscribers 45 videos Survivor * 1/2 of The Survivor Squad Podcast * Make Up Vlog * Trauma Toxic Relationship Life Coach Subscribe Home Videos Shorts. A crime TV obsessive she frequently speaks about how shows like Burn Notice and Dexter taught her the knife skills she needed to defend herself from her own attacker Newell says she was encouraged to join TikTok by another real-life true crime survivor, Collier Landry, whose father was convicted on one count of aggravated murder and one count of abuse of a corpse for brutally murdering Colliers mother in 1990. She regularly posts photos of her travelling to different countries, whipping up food in her kitchen, or moving into her sprawling new apartment in Long Beach, California. And so, for him, he literally lost his control. His shoulder blade. The positive response from the public has encouraged me to make it a life goal to help others encountering relationship red flags. Everyone described her as "sweet." Her voice, a soft singsong, forced people to lean in. The Aussies lover says she worked at the dog kennel for so long that she knew all the rules of a service dog, ESA, and a therapy dog. (L-R) Arlane Hart, Debra Newell and Terra Newell attend the after-party for Bravo's anthology series "Dirty John" world premiere at NeueHouse Los Angeles on November 13, 2018, in Hollywood, California. Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter. This year, their story was again told through a Netflix series of the same name, starring Eric Bana as John Meehan, and Connie Britton as Debra Newell. Terra is the daughter of Debra Newell, known for her part in the Dirty John tale. Twenty years before the events of Dirty John, Debra Newell's sister Cindi was shot and killed by her husband, Billy Vickers.The . I killed my stepdad in self-defense. Later his scam story, his chapter on Debra and her daughters life got retellings from sources like the Los Angeles Time, Bravo (series), and also a podcast of the same name. Following that, John, however, would stalk Debra and even turned to Terra. "She was right-handed. From the beginning, however, Debras daughters including Terra were wary of their mothers new partner. (L-R) Arlane Hart, Debra Newell and Terra Newell attend the after-party for the world premiere of Bravo's anthology series "Dirty John" at NeueHouse Los Angeles Nov. 13, 2018, in Hollywood, Calif. "That means that they lost, like a sense of their self. Meehan falsely told Debra he had worked with Doctors Without Borders in Iraq. His Gay Rumors, Girlfriend, & More, Terra Newell Is A Native Of Orange County, CA, The Real Story On How John Ended Up Being Terras Family Member And Ultimately Her Attacker. And that really defines like the cluster is a lot of like the narcissist sociopath, psychopaths, they lack empathy. Second, she moved to Vegas and, as told to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, she's started a new outpost of her business, Ambrosia Home. Debra said she hasnt dated since. He tried to sabotage her company, lit her car on fire, stalked my family and sent us threats. Meehan, nicknamed "Dirty John," was the focus of Los Angeles Times reporter Christopher Goffard's true-crime podcast after his extensive coverage of the case, which was later depicted in documentaries and a Netflix series. Where Is Julia Haart Now? That was a stepdad. Terra Newell is still dealing with PTSD, but is trying to help others see the red flags and warning signs of someone like John Meehan. Arlane Hart, Debra Newell, Terra Newell, Dirty John. Meehan posed as an anesthesiologist whod just returned to Southern California after a year in war-torn Iraq while volunteering with Doctors Without Borders. Eventually, my mother realized he was evil, and left him for good. Terra opens up about the fatal attack. He died aged 57 in a hospital four days after the incident. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. He then launched a brutal attack on his stepdaughter Terra in August of 2016 in Newport Beach, California. She kicked the knife from his hand, grabbed the weapon and stabbed him multiple times. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time Though John had answers to Terras every question and not even her mother, Debra supported her. Between his shoulder blades. He does leave behind sisters, who've been quiet since the show came out; an ex-wife Tonia, who's been an ally of Debra Newell's; and daughters Abigail and Emma who've become friends with Debra Newell's family too. So some good came out of all this! I came back to California when the Los Angeles Times started sharing our story, a story we shared in hopes that other women would relate and realize they may know a Dirty John. Get to know what had actually happened other than the TV show dramatization and the media narratives in addition to an exclusive wiki about Terra Newell; her childhood, her career, her life after the incident, and beyond. The positive response from the public has encouraged me to make it a life goal to help others encountering relationship red flags. She dealt the 13th and final blow through his eye and got away. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Terra Newell was 25. Real Life "Dirty John" Survivor Terra Newell Shares Tips on Surviving a Knife Attack Terra Newell killed her mom's husband in self-defense, stabbing him 13 times while her dog Cash bit his ankles trying to protect her. Newells parents divorced when she was seven years old. Debra told Forbes that her eldest daughter was old enough to take over the design shop she left behind when she moved to Nevada, so Jacquelyn may be quietly operating that shop in California. While she may not have wished to become famous through a near-death incident, upon surviving, Terra has managed to become a national story. Terra said Meehan also sent messages threatening to kill her mom, bury her body in the backyard and then he "was going to add me and my sister. An injured Terra,. Daughter Terra, now 31, said she had told Debra about her reservations about her new partner over Thanksgiving 2014. "Do you remember me," Meehan said as he grabbed her from behind and tried to force Terra Newell into the trunk of his car. My family ended up hiring a private investigator and the information we learned terrified us: He had been arrested several times, had restraining orders from many women, was a hard-core drug user and so much more., When my siblings told my mom this, she left him, Newell continued. She and Debra did an interview on the Today Show in January of last year, where she recounted memories of the scars on her arm and her chest where John tried stabbing her. Newell eventually stabbed Meehan 13 times. JOHN MEEHAN'S FIRST WIFE RECALLS HOW DIRTY JOHN' TERRORIZED HER IN NEW PODCAST: I WAS SCARED FOR MY LIFE, (L-R) Arlane Hart, Debra Newell and Terra Newell attend the after-party for the world premiere of Bravo's anthology series "Dirty John" at NeueHouse Los Angeles Nov. 13, 2018, in Hollywood, Calif. (Rich Fury/Getty Images). All rights reserved. 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