A family friendThe new limited series on Peacock (premiering October 6, 2022) is a dramatized version of the Jan Broberg case that has fascinated true crime fans for decades.
The story was originally told in Jan and her mother’s 2003 memoir, titled Stolen Innocence: The Story of Jan Brombergand then in the 2019 documentary, Kidnapped right before my eyes. A family friend It also fits quite well with the story from 1972 in Pocatello, Idaho, when the Broberg family met the Berchtold family at church.
We will tell you more about Gail Berchtold, the head of the Berchtold family, in this article.
Meet Gail Berchtold, ex-wife of Robert Berchtold
Before we tell you about Gail Berchtold, let’s give you a little background on this story and the other people involved in it.
Soon after their first meeting, the Berchtolds and Brombergs became inseparable. Robert Berchtold, affectionately known as “B” to the Brombergs, his wife Gail Berchtold and their five children became the family of Bob Broberg, his wife Mary Ann and their three daughters Jan, Susan and Karen.
So, Gail Berchtold here is Berchtold’s ex-wife and Robert is the accused in this story; he is accused of committing terrible crimes and no one stops him, despite the overwhelming evidence against him.
In this story, Robert tells Bob that he is in an unhappy and unfulfilling marriage with Gail and that he needs help with his sexual release. So while he convinces Bob to help him with his release, he also continually flirts with Mary Ann, eventually leading to a long-term affair while also becoming very attached to Mary’s daughter, Jan.
Later, during the investigation, it is discovered that the whole thing was a hoax set up by Robert to separate the Broberg family from each other, to manipulate Jan into believing that he is the only person she can trust. Of course, Gail also plays her own important role.
Initially in 1974, when Robert sexually assaulted and kidnapped 12-year-old Jan Broberg, the Broberg family did not involve law enforcement due to Gail’s pleas. Again, when history repeated itself two years later, Gail blackmailed the Broberg family by telling them to drop the charges or she and Robert would reveal all their dirty laundry about Mary’s relationship with Robert.
Married since June 6, 1961, Robert and Gail lived in places such as Albuquerque, New Mexico, Brigham City, Harper and Ogden, Utah before meeting the Broberg family in Idaho.
Unlike in the series, Robert and Gail have five children. All of their names start with the letter ‘J’, namely Jerry, James, Joseph, Jeff and Jill.
Where is Gail Berchtold now?
Gail and Robert Berchtold were divorced before Jan Broberg’s second kidnapping. Jan revealed this in Kidnapped right before my eyes documentary
Jan also told Entertainment Tonight that Gail divorced him and moved away with the kids. Additionally, Jan never spoke to her again.
Some reports on Reddit also suggest that Gail remarried after she left Robert. Robert also married his second wife, Deanna Lou Wiley, before he committed suicide in 2005.
Back to Gail’s current situation, as of 2022, she is said to be residing in Roy, Utah. So it seems like Gail is living a peaceful but happy retirement with her children.
Gail Berchtold Current husband
Gail Berchtold remarried in the late 1980s. Unfortunately, this time, her husband, James Leslie Wadman, passed away after a long battle with bladder cancer (on April 5, 2015). He was 70 at the time. It is not known whether they welcomed any children.
The harsh treatment of some people and the media seems to have caused Gail to become withdrawn and distant from everyone.
Judging by how she was called “his angel, his strength and his bride of 27 years” in her late husband James’ obituary, at least she got to see what a beautiful marriage looked like.
Gail Berchtold’s age
Gail Berchtold, later known as Gail Wadman after her second husband’s surname, was born in November 1942. So she would have turned 79 in 2021.
What is Gail Berchtold Maiden’s name?
Gail Berchtold’s maiden name was Toyn. So she went by the name Gail Toyn before marrying Robert.
Related FAQs
-
Where is Gail Berchtold from?
Gail Berchtold was born and raised in Grouse Creek, Utah.
-
Who played Gail Berchtold in “A Family Of The Friend”?
It is American actress and fashion model Lio Tipton (of Crazy, Stupid, Love) who plays Gail in A family friend.
In the years since Robert’s death, many true crime fans have debated Gail’s involvement in the crimes. Some have wondered whether Gail was completely innocent and unaware of her husband’s actions, or whether she knew all along. Meanwhile, America’s Next Top Model Lio, after playing her, believed that Gail had no control over her husband’s behavior. She described their marriage as uncomfortable and she saw how, when playing Gail, Robert groomed her.
She added that the way she interprets Gai focuses on how Gail is trying to keep her family safe and together. And so, through Gail’s perspective, she realizes that the only thing that matters [to her] is, “Is my family okay? What can I do to make things better?”