When Justice Felt Denied: Netflix’s A Deadly American Marriage Leaves Viewers Outraged (Photo Credit – Netflix)
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Netflix’s latest documentary, A Deadly American Marriage, has quickly gripped audiences by drawing in strong reactions and sparking emotional responses across social media. The show, which dropped on May 9, 2025, has already drawn over a million viewers in its very first week.
Netflix’s A Deadly American Marriage: Plot
The film unravels the deeply unsettling story of Jason Corbett, an Irish father of two who moved to the US in 2011 after marrying Molly Martens. Years earlier, Jason had lost his first wife, Mags, to an asthma attack. Molly, who was once hired as a nanny for his children during a trip abroad, soon became his second wife.
However, even though their new life in North Carolina looked like a picture perfect from outside, things were far from what they seemed in reality.
In August 2015, Jason was found dead in his bedroom. The injuries were brutal, and apparently, a baseball bat and a brick were used during the brutal act. Subsequently, Molly and her father, Thomas Martens, a former FBI agent, were arrested and charged with second-degree murder. They claimed Jason had been violent and that the killing was an act of self-defense.
After years of legal back and forth, the charges were later downgraded to manslaughter, and both were released from prison in mid-2024 following reduced sentences.
Jason Corbett’s Children Speak Out in Netflix Documentary
According to Unilad, the documentary doesn’t present only one version of the truth. It lays out the sequence of events and lets both sides speak. Jason’s children, Jack and Sarah, who are now adults living in Ireland, share memories of their father and the events that changed everything. Molly and her father appear, too, offering their own narrative.
Alongside courtroom footage and emotional interviews, the film also examines the moments before and after Jason’s death, including the emergency call placed that night. It also dives into the custody battle that followed, as both families fought over the future of the children.
The film, directed by Jessica Burgess and Jenny Popplewell, has stirred public interest not only for its heartbreaking content but also for its presentation of a tragic situation without promoting a single viewpoint.
They told TUDUM, “From the very beginning, we approached both families. For the film to remain objective and balanced, we never discussed information we learned with either side.”
Response from Viewers
Viewers have been vocal about how it is difficult to watch and blasted Molly and her father for getting away with the crime. One wrote, “Just finished watching A Deadly American Marriage on Netflix.. Molly & her daddy definitely did that shit in cold blood & deserves to be locked up.”
Just finished watching A Deadly American Marriage on Netflix.. Molly & her daddy definitely did that shit in cold blood & deserves to be locked up
Another added, “I just finished a deadly American marriage on Netflix, all I’m gonna say….Molly and her Dad are guilty AF!” A third tweeted, “Watching A Deadly American Marriage and I feel so very sorry for Jack and Sarah. They lost so much in their young lives 😭😭💔”
I just finished a deadly American marriage on Netflix, all I’m gonna say….Molly and her Dad are guilty AF! pic.twitter.com/cbnvLe9RJO
Someone else wrote, “Somebody told me that #ADeadlyAmericanMarriage left them confused at the end smh, there is absolutely no confusion for me. That lady and her daddy can go to hell first thing smokin.”
Somebody told me that #ADeadlyAmericanMarriage left them confused at the end smh there is absolutely no confusion for me. That lady and her daddy can go to hell first thing smokin
