Gabby Petito's mum admits controversial moment in Netflix documentary was 'weird' to watch
Gabby Petito's mum has opened up about the use of AI in the new Netflix documentary about her daughter.
The aspiring vlogger, 22, was found dead weeks after a reported domestic violence incident involving her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, in Utah in 2021.
Police arranged for the couple to separate for one night before Petito went missing.
Two weeks on, her body was found at the Spread Creek camping area in Wyoming.
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Murder suspect Laundrie's remains were located a month later, and the FBI said he confessed to committing the crime in a note and died by suicide.
Netflix's American Murder: Gabby Petito has reminded us of the tragedy and Petito's mum Nichole Schmidt has addressed the use of AI in the true-crime doc.
Both parents gave the streaming service permission to recreate their daughter's voice with the use of deepfake technology.
"I think it's weird and because we know her actual voice, [it] is a little off. It's just hard to hear," she told the Independent.
Netflix made it clear from episode one that they would be using it, with the following on-screen message: "Gabby Petito's journal entries and text messages are brought to life in this series in her own voice, using voice recreation technology."
Explaining the decision to use AI, filmmaker Michael Gasparro told Us Weekly: "We had so much material from her parents that we were able to get.
"All of her journals since she was young and there was so much of her writing.
"She documented her trips and most of her life from a young age.
"We thought it was really important to bring that to life.
"At the end of the day, we wanted to tell the story as much through Gabby as possible. It's her story."
LADbible Group has previously contacted Netflix for comment.
In 2022, a financial settlement was provided to the Petito family in a wrongful death lawsuit.
Petito's stepfather, Jim Schmidt, told Netflix's Tudum: "We reluctantly settled, but we got as much information as we were hoping for.
"When that day was over, a tremendous weight was lifted off of our shoulders. After that day, we all took a deep breath.
"It really allowed us to start working on what we want to do for the [Gabby Petito Foundation], to focus on that and truly start making a difference. It was a big pivot point for us."
Tara Petito, her stepmother, said: "Going through that was so emotionally triggering and exhausting. Once we were able to settle, that weight just came right off, and we were able to focus more on the foundation and getting those resources. That’s the most important part.
"Gabby touched so many people. She touched the world, and by getting her story out there to more viewers, maybe it’ll save one more life.
"We’ve already received so many messages saying, 'Because of Gabby’s story, I got out of that relationship.' That’s why we started the foundation as well, to help others and get resources in their hands. That is so important, because Gabby was not able to get those tools."
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please know that you are not alone. You can talk in confidence to the national domestic violence helpline Refuge on 0808 2000 247, available 24/7, or via live chat, available 10am-10pm, Monday to Friday.
Topics: Gabby Petito, Netflix, True Crime, TV
Anish Vij