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Candy, a new series streaming on Hulu, details the horrifying murder of Betty Gore. Based on a true story, Betty’s friend and neighbor, Candy Montgomery, murdered her in the laundry room of her own house in 1980. The series stars Jessica Biel as Candy and Melanie Lynskey as Betty. Here’s everything you need to know about Hulu’s Candy before tuning into Hulu on May 9.

Jessica Biel wearing a red shirt and holding a dish in a production still of Hulu's Candy.
Jessica Biel as Candy Montgomery in Hulu’s ‘Candy.’ | Tina Rowden/Hulu

Candy Montgomery and Betty Gore met in church in 1977

When Candy first moved to Collin County, Texas, she searched for a church to attend and found one in The Methodist Church of Lucas. That’s where she and Betty met for the first time and became friends.

Candy Montgomery had an affair with Betty Gore’s husband, Allan

In the summer of 1978, Candy found herself interested in Betty’s husband, despite his marriage to one of her friends. According to an excerpt from Love and Death in Silicon Prairie, Part I: Candy Montgomery’s Affair, posted in Texas Monthly, “For several weeks she had been talking abstractly to friends about having an affair. Candy wanted something to shake up her ‘very boring’ life with Pat. She was explicit about the kind of affair she was interested in: transcendent sex. As she put it, ‘I want fireworks.'”

Candy and Allan continued to flirt over the next few weeks. Allan rebuffed Candy’s advances at first because he didn’t want to hurt Betty. Candy was, reportedly, very direct with Allan about what she wanted, and eventually, the two began an affair.

People reports that Candy felt guilty around her husband, Pat, but never felt that way about Betty. Candy even threw her friend a baby shower while she was sleeping with Allan.

How did Candy Montgomery kill Betty Gore?

After he and Betty attended a marriage retreat called Marriage Encounter, Allan ended his affair with Candy. Betty was pregnant, and Allan wanted to focus on his family. Candy became upset, but she accepted Allan’s decision. Both couples seemed to have moved on with their lives by the summer of 1980.

One day that summer, Candy arrived at Betty’s house to get Betty’s daughter, Alisa’s swimsuit so Candy could take Alisa to her swimming lessons. They planned for Alisa to spend the night at the Montgomery’s. Allan was out of town for work, and Betty was home with their youngest daughter, Bethany, who was only around a year old.

Unbeknownst to Candy, Betty knew about the affair between Candy and Allan and confronted Candy in her home while wielding an ax. Betty took the first swing while the women struggled with one another, but the ax barely grazed Candy. However, eventually, Candy gained control of the weapon and swung the ax 41 times. Betty was alive for 40 of the blows. 

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Candy Montgomery was found not guilty by reason of self-defense

Maybe the most shocking moment to emerge from the entire story is that Candy was found not guilty when she went to trial. However, the Texas mother was acquitted of all charges on Oct. 29, 1980. The Dallas News spoke with one of the jurors who said, “We determined it never had a bearing on the verdict at all — whether it was one gunshot or 1,000 whacks.” 

Candy and her family moved out of state shortly after the trial to escape the rumors and other people talking about the trial. Now, Hollywood is rehashing the grisly murder all over again. Candy premieres on Hulu on May 9, 2022.

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