‘Friend of the Family’: Jan Broberg Starred in a Beloved WB TV Drama As She Recovered From Her Traumatic Childhood
Peacock’s new true crime miniseries, A Friend of the Family, follows the story of Jan Broberg. As a young girl, she was abducted and sexually assaulted twice by a close friend of her parents.
After surviving that harrowing ordeal, Broberg focused on pursuing her passion for acting. What the miniseries doesn’t show: She starred in a beloved WB TV drama while recovering from her childhood trauma.
‘A Friend of the Family’ tells the disturbing story of Jan Broberg and her family
A Friend of the Family is a dramatization of Broberg’s childhood experience. Her story was previously told in the 2019 Netflix documentary Abducted in Plain Sight and in Broberg’s memoir, Stolen Innocence: The Jan Broberg Story.
When Broberg was nearly 12 years old, her parents’ friend, Robert “B” Berchtold, brainwashed her and the Broberg family to the point where they trusted him blindly. He then abducted the young girl from under her parents’ noses and sexually abused her without anyone noticing.
The Peacock series stars McKenna Grace, Jake Lacy, Colin Hanks, and Anna Paquin. It was produced by Broberg and her mother, Mary Ann.
Jan Broberg went on to become an actor
Following her assault, Broberg pursued a career as an actor. She started in 1992 and earned small roles in several films, including In the Line of Duty: Siege at Marion, Deliver Them from Evil: The Taking of Alta View, Slaughter of the Innocents, and The Poof Point. She also appeared on episodes of TV shows like Touched By An Angel and Cover Me: Based on the True Life of an FBI Family.
In 2002, Broberg landed a recurring role as Nurse Louise in the WB TV drama, Everwood. She appeared on the show until its final season aired in 2006. The Greg Berlanti series also starred Chris Pratt, Emily VanCamp, Treat Williams, Gregory Smith, Debra Mooney, John Beasley, and Vivien Cardone.
Broberg’s resume includes many other projects, including Iron Man 3, Criminal Minds, and We Are Your Friends.
Why Jan Broberg wanted to tell her story in ‘A Friend of the Family’
Broberg produced A Friend of the Family alongside creator Nick Antosca. And while she had already told her story in the Netflix documentary and her book, she hoped a dramatization would allow viewers to see how predators operate.
“For me, it was really important to tell that story again with that kind of context, to show the psychology behind how groomers and predators operate,” Broberg told Showbiz Cheatsheet.
“It’s a slow process. They don’t just target the child. They target all of the family members, the people around the target. So the fact that everybody knew, trusted, and loved this man [was important]. He knew exactly how to manipulate every person around me as well as me.”
Broberg said she hoped the series would help anyone who’s experienced a similar situation see the red flags. And she also admitted knowing her story would make for good TV.
“I think that was really important because that’s the story that I think millions of other families and children who have been through sexual abuse will relate to and this was my message — is that it’s someone close to you,” Broberg explained.
“It’s someone that, you know, that’s close,” she continued.” It’s not a scary stranger very often. And that’s really an important story that I don’t think gets told enough. And I guess my story is just crazy enough that it was good for television or for a series.”
How to get help: In the U.S., call the RAINN National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 to connect with a trained staff member from a sexual assault service provider in your area.
