A Friend of the Family: Jan Broberg Reveals How Accurate the True Crime Drama Really Is

[@rhunt0820]

I was shocked to find out that everything is so accurate in this true crime drama. The alien abduction story that Robert Berchtold feeds to Jan is so ridiculous that I thought it was made up for TV!

[@Gravity-Inverted]

She already had been brainwashed with Mormonism... So she was very susceptible to that kind of story... She already had fear of her soul being lost eternally.

[@zacharylee1995]

Yeah I Know Right So very Werid 😢

[@SableDevon]

Her parents and all the adults except for the lawyer just sickening glad she is doing well considering

[@pookiedoodlemama]

Ignorance. Fucking unbelievable

[@chibangin007]

Same i said and thought! It sickend me! Her parents were beyond stupid!

[@babsx191]

Both parents were so incredibly gullible and naive, watching it play out was frustrating. There are very sick people in the world and they pick the most mentally vulnerable as pray. Good to hear Jan is doing well and Robert is dead.

[@chibangin007]

We all say the same

[@zacharylee1995]

The mother seems more gullible than The Father though, at least The Father is Said NO to Robert

[@slimmyraw]

Also pedophilia was clearly rare and unheard of in the '60s, you must also take into account how gullible and naive white folks were as a whole in that Era, white privilege goes so long they're dumbfounded when something actually goes wrong, they can't prepare if they've never known what to prepare for.

[@princejohn6560]

They weren't gullible and naive, they were involved in a sex triangle with Berchtold. They knew what was going on with the daughter and him and allowed it.

[@doublefeature]

i know tons of blame lay upon the parents but i really believe we are missing part of the conversation here. which is how good at mental and emotional and even romantic manipulation this guy was. and how that's a huge part of how predators operate.

[@2makeshiftwings]

So true. The episodes were fast tracked, in real life the berchtold family built up incredible trust with the broberg family. Robert berchtold was an evil man who knew how to manipulate and discard people at will. I would like to know what happened to his family.

[@doublefeature]

@@2makeshiftwings truly the only case like this i've ever heard where the predator groomed and had relationships w/ the parents of the victim. more mind blowing was the mothers relationship with him was after the first kidnapping. also crazy that it was portrayed as though his wife and Mary-Ann continued a friendship up until Bob basically put a stop to it.

[@doublefeature]

@@2makeshiftwings also although it was fast tracked a bit, if you pay attention to the timeline of years and such it's clear he began grooming her and the entire family almost 2 years prior to the first abduction so def agree w/ what you said. lots of time for trust to be built and seeds to be planted.

[@debrawolf8458]

The mother had an eight month affair with the guy. Her father did too.

[@doublefeature]

@@Lily-gs9iv i think that's part of it. they didn't see the need for certain boundaries because they saw him as a part of the family. but to let this man sleep in your daughters bed on a nightly basis, yah a little lacking in boundaries.

[@Krizzy513]

I’m sorry her parents still dumb to me if I a man asking for my daughter by herself that’s a red flag anyway 😭

[@beautifuldiaster5540]

I can't believe this was base on true events...I have no words for her parent's...SMDH🤨

[@monagoldenmilks909]

If this story is really true, Bob was the only smart one. Can people actually be that gullable? The whole town was messed up in the head.....😱😱SMH

[@jamestweedsmuir4551]

Jan is such a trooper. She's also very brave and courageous. Her survival story spoke to me.

[@neiabbatey324]

It amazes me how naive her parents was. So many signs were ignored. Berchtold seen through that and used it against their will. Blessing to know Jane is doing wonderful. Ppl don't always heal from situations like this. Scary, sad, and a lesson to please keep ur children close. Watch even family members. Man or woman evil does not discriminate. Pay attention to the signs. If it doesn't feel right, it aint right.

[@mscarolynnigro]

I just watched the first 4 episodes. Shocking.

[@elliel3700]

Poor Jan, she was a little girl, scared, innocent and naive..I can imagine she lived in constant terror. She’s so brave and what she does now is incredible and really helpful to other childhood survivors ❤

[@kinasglory9185]

That family was too trusting. Sorry it happened. My grandma didn't let us go anywhere with friends no matter how close they were to the family.

[@Mr.Majestic77]

I don't understand how someone in the girls family (uncle, cousin...dad) did not have this guy missing in the swamps.

[@monagoldenmilks909]

The whole dang story is so crazy, just ridiculous. These people are so messed up. Bob had all of them wrapped around his little finger. He didn't abduct her the 2nd time, she willing left. All his crazy jet eye mind tricks on all these mine less ppl😶😱😱😱😱

[@Mr.Majestic77]

@@monagoldenmilks909 yeah. The daughter, her mother, hell, even her dad had a peice of him.

[@Bbycks1]

How about the bishop who knew that bob was drugging and molesting Jan while she was out but didn’t report it to the police! Disgusting!

[@marcellaabate]

Word!

[@Lifeletnothingholdudown]

Hey Jani It's nice to see your face and how good you're doing. I miss our LA days. I still have your book. Watched your documentary again you are Amazing.

[@albreshaskilar]

I’m sorry that this happened to her. It’s really crazy, I applause her for being brave because I’d be embarrassed my parents were so naive. The fact they didn’t notice the many red flags baffles me. He was playing them from the beginning. I think the dad started to pull away and felt something was off but his wife influenced him alot. Hope this family has healed. 🙏🏽🤎

[@arete7884]

Damn that guy was seducing the whole family crazy charm and how he played them all ,perfect setup ,4ep in and its amazing also brilliant acting

[@motulifelikefigures1987]

I had to stop watching, the stupidity and incompetence of the parents pushed my limits. Shows me once again that many adults are simply not fit enough to rase children or guide a family. Unbelievable.

[@pallasathena1369]

Just my opinion but, I think the Broberg father had homosexual proclivity which was forbidden by the church so he married a woman and became a "normal" family man. That predator picked up on it and seduced the father, then seduced the wife as she was probably sexually neglected... With them distracted with their "semi affairs" he was able to literally do what he wanted to their daughter. The two parents being strung out mentally on having broken the churches fidelity rules. Back in the day gay men were told to get married and be a family man.

[@seriousnesstv7902]

Homosexuality is indeed a sin, but the show kinda paints the picture that the husband was the good guy so it’s hard to know because the daughter herself really paints a happy picture.

[@tamoumoune1]

Thats exactly that

[@williecampbell1395]

No, common sense pervailed in this family. I have learned some of the most sinful people are occupying a pew every Sunday in church. Her parents are still together after the homosexuality revealed, wow can't believe that. Believing in Alien Abduction part that was really crazy, it was like this whole family was living in a cocoon all their lives. Thank God the daughter is okay.

[@jamiedenise7558]

We have to keep in mind how different things were back then. I think that plays a part in the cocoon they all seemed to be in. Even the FBI guy came off as clueless when discussing pedophile.

[@uravirginwhocantdrive1400]

You do realize how old Jan was when he was telling her all that alien stuff right? Not to mention all he did to make it look real? Of course a what 8,9 or 10 year old would have fallen for that.

[@littlejaye1]

I am sorry but if this is true then these parents should have been arrested and put in jail. From all that has been told they were just as guilty as the child molester. Her parents were wonderful? What the hell These statements and her cheeriness. It makes me really feel like this is not real at all by these statements and how she acts. It just gives me the creeps like she is exploiting this. she surely is getting paid for this .. My gut just tells me something just isn’t right here.

[@uravirginwhocantdrive1400]

Jan probably still loves her parents after all this because they are her parents. You can’t blame it fault Jan for that. It’s not ignoring or taking away from what her parents did but they are still her parents.

[@tytybaby06]

Oh it’s definitely true there was a documentary on Netflix with the family explaining it & how it happened. I agree the parents are just as guilty & should’ve been punished! Jan is in deep denial about them & it’s sad

[@littlejaye1]

@@uravirginwhocantdrive1400 Her parents trafficked her to that man. I am a survivor, and I am sorry if I sounded disrespectful. It’s just Horrible that all the adults weren’t charged. I was just talking to a friend today about how adults back where I was little allowed other adults to harm their child and did nothing. Teachers, preachers, boy/girl scout leaders, principals. Just to name a few. I am just a few years younger then Jan is so I know how society swept child abuse under the rug. My abusers are dead now and I am free. I hope Jan feels that same freedom that most survivors finally get to in healing.

[@uravirginwhocantdrive1400]

@@littlejaye1 I understand that (and I had a few bad experiences with a groomer or two) but what I’m saying is not everyone is the same and that includes survivors of SA. Jan could still love her parents despite how much they failed her while someone else who went through the same thing Jan went through may feel differently if their parents failed them like that. Either way you can’t just fault Jan for still loving her parents despite all this because that’s still her parents/ family. Not everyone is the same and you shouldn’t shame others into feeling a certain way after traumatic things they go through.

[@littlejaye1]

@@uravirginwhocantdrive1400 It’s her parents that should forever be shamed to the core of their being. I understand how Jan could still love her parents though. I get that. Because it seems like outside of practically given their child to a rapist , they where fairly distant to her and her siblings. That is how Jan I think could disconnect and separate the two different actions of of her parents. Some people can do that and yes everyone does handle how they cope with their abusers and the people that that was clearly complacent to the abuse they suffered. I for one did have that conflict inside me for a little while too . I did try to see my abusers other then the abusers that they were, until I was able to experience a different kind of life I ever did while living with my abusers. I can’t ever understand how someone that hurts a child or allows a child to be harmed can ever expect that child to free them from accountability of what was done to that them. Your right everyone does handle things differently.

[@garylee3893]

I am highly confused, I feel a bit of annoyance with the absurdity of it all, its extremely interesting and well acted yet I can't wrap my head around it all, I truly believe a human being such as the predator here, should simply be put to permanent sleep, and completely forgotten, there's no rehabilitation, there's no forgiveness, they need to disappear, a big fire pit would be appropriate

[@momzillainnova]

I get it. It was a very different time though. This was the 70’s. A time when every night at 9 and 10 pm a reminder was played on television reminding parents “do you know where your children are?” That was a very real thing. It was a very different time.

[@garylee3893]

@@momzillainnova true, its a great watch, cause it really wound me up, It stirred up emotions, I was so confused and humiliated when the dad helped (bob) out, by the way, the guy definitely doesn't deserve a nickname like b, I just am unable to understand how the parents could be so gullible and seem so vulnerable, my experience with LDS in Utah is they are politely delusional,

[@Raelnya2013]

The mom and dad were frustrating to watch . Especially Moms

[@MG-dq7cw]

Whyyy are they all talking about this serious matter in a smirking and smiling way ?? What's wrong w them

[@janinehenschel4988]

This what happens when you get go to a CULT Church which that church was and yet they NEVER warned the families at church that he committed rape and went to jail for it and didn't excomunicate him but yet they did that to the Jan's mother who cheated on her husband with the rapist, which is just SICK and to me HOW could a mother do that, but of course she went to a FALSE CULT so what do you expect, but for the the woman here to NOT BLAME her mother for putting her in his way is just SICK and I dno't think that I could EVER have ANYTHING to do with my mom, if she didn't protect me, because of an affair that she had with this man, she KNEW better and instead allowed this pedifile to take her child and RAPE her 200 TIMES and ALLOWED IT? I want to know HOW LONG did this girl FINALLY STOP believing in the alien story and WHEN did it STOP for her? What her mother did was HORRIBLE !

[@seriousnesstv7902]

Typical Mormons lol.

[@sdsurfgirl60]

Jan is in denial about her parents.

[@doctorposting]

yup😞 probably a defense mechanism

[@tytybaby06]

Agreed they are just as accountable as B who tf lets a grown man sleep in their daughter’s bed?!? Then be built a wall?!? & they both had sex with him! The mother after the 1st kidnapping! Omg she is in deep denial!

[@pt20665]

Yep!!

[@cheesyDELISH48]

I think its more complicated than we can ever understand. The amount of shame the parents would of been dealing with.... we really shouldn't judge. When I saw the doc I thought her parents were dumb but the series does a really good job of telling a well detailed story

[@sdsurfgirl60]

@@cheesyDELISH48 🧐😶😕

[@anncooper9369]

The point is as parents we are responsible for our seeds. These parents gave up that right letting their children run of with that man. And I dislike all the smiling and giggling in this interview. Like as if this is something to be happy about. Not my babies. No way

[@hmaynard196]

Did anybody else notice in the show when Jane packed her stuff to leave the second time she went into her chest and there were notes from B it was never mentioned unless I was seeing things

[@hmaynard196]

It’s also so fucked up that the guys at the church knew the stuff he did to Jane but did nothing like wtf

[@artvandelay837]

@@hmaynard196 thats religion for ya

[@anothermoon8894]

I really like Nick Antosca's True Crime series' because they're really going into the process of what happened chronologically and psychologically with the people without showing any weird explicit scenes in weird detailed imagery that is totally unnecessary (I'm looking at American Crime Story specifically). I highly recommend Nick's series "Candy" as well.

[@charity9660]

You know what. I don’t like that it didn’t give answers at the end. What tf happened? It’s like i watched a bunch of stuff and got no real answer.

[@dru7151]

I really hope this Jan doesn't have kids herself. Because if she actually thinks she has good parents she can't be much smarter than her own parents

[@BearieG]

She has a kid

[@fanat1508]

All the comments about the parents though not wrong it’s not the point. The point is that these predators don’t think like we do, they will do anything to get to their prey. We have all been friends with people that later we realize weren’t the best of friends or weren’t good people, imagine them not just being bad people but harming your family in such a way that they’ve infiltrated every part of your life to get to your child. That man is the real monster

[@thatJAWNraps]

seems pretty obvious, and she hints at it here, that her MAIN reason for doing the show was to give context to her parents decisions after the doco made them look beyond negligent

[@TheSaintsNo1]

Omg it was brilliant.l hope jan is ok xxx

[@charity9660]

I figured it was very much all exactly how they put it lmao i just wish they added more episodes

[@Piroxeno]

🔸 RESUMEN de la serie 'A friend of the Family' 👉 kzbin.info/www/bejne/j6HMcn2NpMaZn7s

[@gracieambrosio4967]

I feel sorry for her but for her mother and father.

[@KazieGoad]

Wow

[@itsforever9702]

This story is confusing to me... Were all parents in the 1970's that naive? (highly doubt it) Was it just ignored or overlooked because of what religion they were? Most confusing to me ....why is a 13-14 child basically allowed to do whatever she wants... she just threatens to leave anytime she feels like it?? Guess this new series is to make her parents "look" better... definitely did not work they still look unbelievably stupid and incompetent parents!

[@dorianowen7852]

It happened to me

[@deliarodrigues9345]

Jan please stop please your just to happy for me and your made up story but good for you on your mental story and your book . I couldn’t never Jan do this after this happen 30 years ago

[@chibangin007]

In the early 90s. Scare kids not to talk to strangers in chicago was homie the clown!

[@chibangin007]

"it" was made. We chilled in groups

[@chibangin007]

Second episode and sick. 70s suck and how stupid it was.

[@1AvrgJoe]

They’re all so cheerful and happy with their big smiling faces while they discuss sexual abuse of children. Idk it just seems very creepy to me to have that demeanor.

[@seriousnesstv7902]

Who is?

[@charity9660]

I think it’s because she actually went through it and healed from it and then in todays day you might as well use your trauma to make money. But i do see your view and i agree it’s weird

[@Lifeletnothingholdudown]

@@charity9660 I can tell you she is genuine and trying to help people. It's not so much about the money.

[@Lifeletnothingholdudown]

She is a uplifting cheerful and happy person. It is a hard subject to talk about but she does it anyway.

[@valentinafangirling]

Why wouldn’t she be happy?? She was silenced and abused all her childhood, and now she’s out here telling her story and being in control of the narrative (something that many victims of true crime series doesn’t have the privilege and access to, look at Dahmer’s victims right now…). She has every right to be proud and happy about this project