‘Candy’: Jessica Biel Says Candy Montgomery Is ‘Just Like All of Us’
TL;DR:
- Jessica Biel plays Candy Montgomery in Hulu’s Candy, which tells the true story of how Montgomery killed her close friend, Betty Gore.
- Jessica Biel said she does not believe Candy Montgomery is an “evil person” or “deeply violent,” but she’s “just like all of us.”
- Today, Candy Montgomery allegedly works as a mental health professional under a different name.
Hulu‘s five-part event, Candy, began on May 9, starring Jessica Biel as a 1980s housewife named Candy Montgomery. On June 13, 1980, Montgomery had an altercation with her close friend, Betty Gore (portrayed by Melanie Lynskey in Candy), that ended in Montgomery killing Gore. Reflecting on Montgomery’s crime, Biel shared that she believes the mother of two was never an inherently violent person; rather, she’s “just like all of us.”
Jessica Biel plays Candy Montgomery in ‘Candy,’ the true story of a murder in Texas
Candy Montgomery lived a quiet with her husband, Pat (Timothy Simmons), and their two children in Wylie, Texas. However, according to reports by Texas Monthly, Montgomery felt sexually unsatisfied in her marriage and began an affair with Betty’s husband, Allan Gore (Pablo Schreiber), whom she met at church, in 1978. The affair continued for a year until Gore ended things, as his wife had just given birth to their second child.
Fast-forwarding to the morning of June 13, 1980, Candy Montgomery visited Betty Gore to pick up a swimsuit for Betty’s eldest daughter, who had been staying with the Montgomery family for a few nights.
According to Montgomery’s account, which she later delivered in trial, Gore confronted her about the affair with her husband. Gore then allegedly left the room and returned with an ax, threatening to kill Montgomery. The two had a long struggle, but Montgomery managed to take the ax and hit Gore.
Montgomery claimed she then tried to escape, but Gore threw herself in front of the door. She allegedly whispered “shhh,” which reminded Montgomery of childhood abuse and sent her into a dissociative state. Montgomery then took the ax again and struck Gore 41 times, killing her.
Montgomery later claimed that she never intended to kill Gore. And although Montgomery was found not guilty in trial on the grounds of self-defense, many people debate to this day if it was really a cold-blooded murder.
Jessica Biel believes Candy Montgomery is ‘not an evil person,’ but she’s ‘just like all of us’
In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Jessica Biel spoke about her role and reflected on Candy Montgomery’s case. A main focus of the Hulu series is Montgomery’s well-liked and kind nature, which is what led many people to wonder if she could be capable of such a violent crime if not in self-defense.
As Biel explained, she wanted to portray her character as “boisterous and playful and bright” — someone “whom we really wanted to make you fall in love with.”
“She is a great mom, and she wants everybody to love her, and she goes above and beyond. She’s of service, and she’s a God-fearing person. All these things are important to her,” Biel said.
At the end of the day, Biel said she believes Montgomery is “not an evil person” or “a deeply violent human being.” Instead, she’s “just like all of us.”
Where is Candy Montgomery today?
As Newsweek notes, after Montgomery’s trial, she and Pat Montgomery moved to Georgia. However, they divorced a few years later. Montgomery now allegedly goes by her maiden name, Candace Wheeler, and works as a therapist for young adults.
Candy is now streaming on Hulu. New episodes drop daily until Friday, May 13.
