This is where the real life family from Netflix’s The Watcher are now

Netflix’s newest show is The Watcher and it tells the chilling true story of a family who move into their dream home, only to be sent creepy letters telling them they’re now being watched. The seven-part series was created by Ryan Murphy and has an absolutely iconic cast of people like Naomi Watts, Mia Farrow and Jennifer Coolidge. Naomi plays Nora Brannocks and her husband, Dean, is played by Bobby Cannavale. They move into their new home with their two kids but soon find out their neighbourhood isn’t very welcoming.

The Watcher is inspired by the true story of the Broaddus family, whose story blew up after it was told in an article published in 2018 by The Cut. The Broaddus family moved into their dream home and shortly began receiving letters warning them against making any changes and telling them they were being watched. After hiring a private detective, the police investigating and a neighbour being arrested and then released, The Watcher was never identified. So here’s what happened to the real family from The Watcher on Netflix:

What happened to the real family from The Watcher on Netflix?

via Netflix

Derek and Maria Broaddus purchased 657 Boulevard in Westfield, New Jersey in 2014. Before they moved into the property, they began work on the house and this is when they started to get letters signed from The Watcher.

In the letter, The Watcher revealed they had been watching the house for the last two decades and also identified the three kids. Derek took the letter to the police who then advised him against sharing that letter with his neighbours. The police started their investigation and brought in one of Derek’s neighbours for questioning but he was let go and cleared as a suspect. Over time, two more letters were sent to the house by The Watcher and as a result the Broaddus family hired a private investigator to solve the case. However the case eventually came to a dead end and The Watcher was never identified.

Do the Broaddus family still live in the house?

Right so in the Netflix show, the family are shown to move into their new home. However in real life the family never actually moved in six months after receiving their first letter from The Watcher. Five years later in 2019 the house sold for $959,000 which is $400,000 less than Derek and Maria purchased it for in 2014.

What are the Broaddus family doing now?

via Netflix

Since selling their house, the Broaddus family have remained in the area and moved into the new house. According to The Cut, the family have avoided interviews and declined offers on documentaries. Derek and Maria reportedly had two requests for Netflix, that the names were changed and the family looked different. They also suggested the series involved a scene where the house burnt to the ground.

The Watcher is available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. 

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Meet the iconic cast full of famous faces in Netflix’s The Watcher

• The creepy letters in The Watcher are real – here’s what they each said in real life

• Real Broaddus family was paid by Netflix for The Watcher and made demands about the show