Dr. Phil Interviews Steven Avery’s (Possibly Former) Fiancée

On Dr. Phil Monday, the host sat down with Lynn Hartman for an hourlong discussion about her relationship with Steven Avery. Avery, as you may recall, was the focus of the hit Netflix docuseries Making a Murderer. He’s currently in prison, serving a life term after being found guilty of the murder of Teresa Halbach in 2005.

Hartman’s part in this story comes after the release of Making a Murderer. After binge-watching the series, she reached out to Avery. “I was feeling lonely at home and … had time to write at that time in my life, which at any other time I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to even consider it,” she explained to host Dr. Phil McGraw. “And so I sent a couple pictures of myself with the letter and asked him if he wanted to write back and forth to get to know each other.”

Avery and Hartman would soon move on from letters to speaking to each other on the phone. Hartman said Avery consoled her as she was going through a difficult divorce from her husband, a police officer. Hartman says it wasn’t long before they fell in love. “I felt instantly like we had known each other forever,” Hartman said. “That obviously stems from the fact that I had the opportunity to watch the series.”

“When did he say ‘Will you marry me?’” asked McGraw.

“It was in May of this year. So four months after we started corresponding,” Hartman answered.

“Did you say yes right away or did you think about it?” followed McGraw.

“My answer was yes,” said Hartman.

Of course, Hartman says that not everyone approves of this relationship. She says her family is not on board with it and that she’s been the target of hateful messages, and she says she was even put in a dangerous real-life situation after her first visit to Avery. “I saw this vehicle coming up fast on — very close to my bumper,” she recounted. “I had to literally dart off on to this gravel shoulder almost spinning my car out of control. … I stayed in my car and I resumed driving, and they came after me again.”

Hartman said she was able to get on a highway and away from this car, but that she didn’t call the police.

On Monday, it was reported that Hartman is no longer Avery’s fiancée. Sandra Greenman, who herself was once Avery’s fiancée and was once a guest on Dr. Phil, alleged that Hartman was only in it for the money. Whether that is true or not remains to be seen. As for Dr. Phil, he wondered if Hartman would’ve been attracted to Avery were it not for his fame.

“If you were standing at the Dairy Queen in line, and this guy was standing next to you, is this the kind of guy that you’d go, ‘Hey, can I buy you a cone?’” McGraw asked.

“Not if I didn’t know him,” she replied. “But after getting to know him, it’s a different story.”

Part two of this special, which will feature Steven Avery himself, will air Tuesday on Dr. Phil.

Previously on Dr. Phil, JonBenet Ramsey’s Brother Talks Years of Media Scrutiny:

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