Here's What We Know About the Real Family Behind 'The Watcher'
Spooky season is upon us, and that means one thing: It's time to curl up on the couch and watch something scary! If you're a fan of true crime (and have already binge-watched Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story), you're in luck. Netflix dropped a brand-new show The Watcher, and it is a star-studded horror series. The 7-episode miniseries, created by Ryan Murphy, stars Naomi Watts, Jennifer Coolidge, and Bobby Cannavale, but what happened at 657 Boulevard is based on real events.
Is The Watcher Based on a True Story?
It's hard to believe, but yes. The true story was first the subject of a 2018 New York Magazine article "The Haunting of a Dream House" by Reeves Wiedeman.
Real-life couple Maria and Derek Broaddus bought their dream house in Westfield, New Jersey, in 2014 for $1.35 million (not quite the $3.5 million price tag in the series) and began renovating it. Just like in the show, they soon began receiving anonymous letters in the mail. The first letter was friendly, but subsequent letters became increasingly threatening and focused on Maria and Derek's three young children. The family contacted law enforcement to help them uncover the source of the mysterious letters. In the Netflix show, the Brannocks actually live in the house, but in reality, the Broaddus family never moved in.
Who Owns The Watcher House Now?
After the Broaddus family bought it in 2014 and began receiving the threatening letters, they never moved in and tried to sell the property in 2015. Even after several price reductions, they were unsuccessful and eventually rented out the home until 2019 when they found a buyer, who purchased the home for $500,000 less than they paid for it in 2014. The new owners remain anonymous but are believed to be a young family. The house still stands at 657 Boulevard in Westfield, New Jersey.
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