Dan’s House from “Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story”

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The first season of the true crime anthology series Dirty John had the feel of a really cheesy Lifetime movie.  I couldn’t even get through one episode!  Season 2, though, titled Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story, which covers the 1989 murders of prominent San Diego attorney Dan Broderick (Christian Slater) and his mistress-turned-wife, Linda Kolkena (Rachel Keller), at the hands of his first wife, Betty (Amanda Peet), is absolutely scintillating!  It doesn’t hurt that I’ve long been obsessed with the case and have read countless books and articles on the subject.  I’ve, of course, been obsessively seeking out locations from the show, including the home where Dan and Betty lived during their marriage, which I blogged about here.  Also on my list was the stately residence Dan bought post-separation, which Betty rammed her car into in episode one.  Thankfully, it was a snap to find!

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It became obvious while watching Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story’s premiere episode, titled “No Fault,” that Dan’s house was situated on a corner.

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One look at its handsome detailing . . .

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. . . and sleepy, leafy surroundings, and I figured it was most likely located in Toluca Lake.

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So I started searching aerial views of the area for large brick homes on a corner lot and came across the right pad at 10355 Woodbridge Street.

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I headed out to see it in person shortly thereafter.

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In real life, the Colonial-style home, which was built in 1967, boasts 4 bedrooms, 4 baths, 2,973 square feet, a formal entry, multiple fireplaces including one in the master suite, a 0.28-acre lot, a pool, and a built-in BBQ.

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You can check out some interior photos of it here.

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The property is eerily reminiscent of Dan’s actual former home, which is located at 1041 Cypress Avenue in San Diego’s Hillcrest neighborhood.  One of my dearest friends, Kylee, happens to live nearby, so I enlisted her to stalk the residence for me.  That’s it in the top photo below as compared to its television counterpart just beneath it.

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The TV home is a virtual carbon copy of the real thing, right down to its white columns, dark shutters, front door framing, circular driveway, brick fence pillars, and large trees.

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Once again, the Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story location managers absolutely nailed it!

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Dan purchased the idyllic pad in late 1985 shortly after leaving Betty.  It was not long before Linda moved in with him.  They eventually married in the home’s front yard on April 22, 1989.  You can see a photo of them standing by the front door on their wedding day here.

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None of that has played out yet on Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story.  So far we’ve only seen the house once, in “No Fault.”  In the episode, Betty drives to Dan’s new residence to confront him about their La Jolla home, which he has just sold out from under her.

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She gets so angry over the property’s sale that she winds up hopping into her car, kicking it into gear and ramming it straight into Dan’s front door.  As she later explains to friends in the episode, “God, I loved that house.  I loved it so much that when I found out it was gone I crashed my car into Dan’s new one!”  Of the incident, Betty told the San Diego Reader in 1989, “I’d do it again, only I’d do it better.  I was mad!  He had just stolen everything from me.  Up until that point, he had stolen my furniture and my kids and my dogs and my jewelry and my clothes, but I still knew I owned half that [La Jolla] house.  My name was on that house, and I didn’t really understand how it could be taken from me.”  Dan had her committed to the San Diego County Mental Health Hospital for three days following the attack.

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When Dan’s actual former home was up for sale in 2014, a friend of the then owner spoke to ABC News and showed off the exact spot Betty damaged in the crash.  The discolored brick where the façade had to be replaced is clearly apparent in the segment, which you can watch here.

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You can also see remnants of the repair in the image below, which was featured in this video tour of the property.

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Though Dan’s home has only so far appeared in “No Fault,” considering it is where the murders took place, it will definitely pop up in upcoming episodes.

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For more stalking fun, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Los Angeles magazine, and Discover Los Angeles.

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Until next time, Happy Stalking!  Smile

Stalk It: Dan’s house from Dirty John: The Betty Broderick Story is located at 10355 Woodbridge Street in Toluca Lake.  His real life former residence can be found at 1041 Cypress Avenue in San Diego’s Hillcrest neighborhood.

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