The Lifetime film is based on a true story about Morgan Metzer, who survived a brutal attack staged by her ex-husband.
Austin Nichols is telling some serious lies to Jana Kramer in the new trailer for Gaslit By My Husband: The Morgan Metzer Story.
The Lifetime original movie is based on the true story of Morgan Metzer, portrayed by Kramer, who was "gaslit" by her abusive husband, Rodney Metzer, for years, culminating with Morgan being brutally assaulted by a masked intruder who later turned out to be Rodney all along.
The true crime trailer begins with Nichols, who portrays Rodney, telling Kramer's character how they've been together since they were 14 years old, as shots of them in bed and the hospital play.
"I want you to know that I'm going to take care of you," he says.
Spoiler alert: He doesn't.
As Morgan asks, "What is going on with you?" other videos referencing the childhood sweethearts' past play. This includes her holding baby clothes, which represents how the couple loses their first child shortly after birth, but are overjoyed when they have twins a year later.
"We've been through a lot," she continues to her husband, whom she married when she was just 21 years old.
The trailer showcases scenes of happy family life, but not everything is what it seems. Rodney becomes more controlling, asking Morgan loaded questions like, "Where have you been?" and "Are you being unfaithful?"
He tells her, "I can't trust you," but, really, he's the one not to trust.
Tensions rise when Rodney loses his job and goes into debt. Rodney blames their fights on Morgan's drinking -- even if she'd only had one -- and convinces Morgan that she pushed him down the stairs in a blackout rage. The couple finally separates, and Morgan's life begins to turn around, until Rodney gets diagnosed with cancer. Not long after, a masked intruder breaks into Morgan's home and assaults her. Rodney shows up only minutes after the intruder is gone; when authorities question him, Rodney's story doesn't seem to be adding up.
Morgan starts to lose herself and her sanity as the trailer shows her attack and Rodney acting suspicious, with him even pointing a gun in one frame.
"No one is ever going to believe you," he says.
Does Rodney really have cancer and is he the hero that he claims to be, or has he been gaslighting Morgan for decades?
The roles are a bit of switch-up for the reunited One Tree Hill stars. On One Tree Hill, Nichols played Julian Baker, the beloved husband of Brooke Davis. Kramer portrayed Alex Dupré, a vapid model and actress with an affinity for cocaine who made a suicide attempt after unsuccessfully pursuing Julian.
Kramer's real-life daughter, Jolie Rae Caussin, whom she had with ex-husband Mike Caussin, also stars as her onscreen daughter, Amelia, along with J. Barrett Cooper, Denise Dal Vera and Maximo Sherman.
The film, written by Benjamin Anderson and directed by Lee Gabiana, is produced by Allegheny Image Factory for Lifetime. Jeffrey Tinnell produces and Robert Tinnell, Whitney White, Maritte Go and Jana Kramer serve as executive producers.
It's fitting that Kramer produced and stars in Gaslit By My Husband: The Morgan Metzer Story because she has been outspoken about domestic abuse in her first marriage to Michael Gambino. The mom of three will film a new a PSA for Lifetime's Stop Violence Against Women initiative to align with the subject matter of this movie.
The thriller will debut as part of Lifetime's summer Ripped From The Headlines slate on Sunday, June 9.
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