Channel 4 is airing the three-part true crime documentary Don't Date Brandon tonight, Thursday, July 30, with all episodes shown back-to-back. Originally released on Paramount Plus last year, the series follows Brandon Johnson's first and second ex-wives, Athena Klingerman and Amber Rasmussen, who shared their experiences of a toxic relationship, including alleged years of threats, stalking and harassment. They secured protective orders and later launched the podcast Ex-Wives Undercover to alert other women.
Brandon Johnson's Sentence
Brandon Johnson was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty in 2023 to assault and attempted kidnapping with intent to rape. According to the docu-series, he also admitted to 10 counts of attempted first-degree theft in a separate fraud case, stealing $392,000 from his former employer HTC. He was sentenced to 36 months in prison in 2019 for this case, ordered to be served concurrently with his 10-year term.
Sex Offender Registration and Parole
As part of the original plea deal, Johnson agreed to lifetime registration as a sex offender in California. He is currently serving his decade-long sentence in a California state prison and is up for parole in May 2027.
Ex-Wives' Motivation
Speaking to Variety about turning their podcast into a series, Klingerman said: “We thought long and hard about it, because you’re right: This story is reaching an even broader audience now. But we needed to get the word out, so it was worth any consequences we could face. At this point, it’s like let’s keep moving forward. Let’s expose who Brandon is, because Brandon represents so many other Brandons out there. It’s worth the risk of backlash to reach a larger audience and let other people know who might be going through this that they are not alone.”
