Khloe Kardashian, Jeffrey Epstein, Aaron Hernandez Projects Set at Investigation Discovery
By Danielle Turchiano
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Investigation Discovery (ID) has teamed up with Khloe Kardashian for a docuseries about “Twisted Love” and also greenlit a Jeffrey Epstein special as the first in its upcoming, tentatively titled “Who Killed…” series.
“Who Killed Jeffrey Epstein?” will feature exclusive interviews and in-depth investigations into new clues about their titular subjects. When it comes to Epstein, the project will explore his “seedy underworld, privileged life and controversial death.”
“This story has everything: famous names, wealth, sex, tragedy and suicide — or murder,” said Henry Schleiff, group president of , Travel Channel, American Heroes Channel and Destination America. “Indeed, when deaths as high profile as Epstein’s come to light, people have questionsand that is why ID will seek to provide viewers with additional new information — and, perhaps, answers.”
Epstein was first accused of trafficking young women to his Palm Beach estate in 2005 but escaped relatively unscathed from the law enforcement system. This pattern repeated through seven civil cases, until this past year, when Epstein was finally arrested and placed in a holding cell as he awaited trial. Epstein was found dead in his cell on Aug. 10, 2019, in an apparent suicide. But the media swarmed with speculation, and now this new special will dig into his political connections, philanthropic ties and famous friendships to explore whether his death really was by his own hand or part of a larger conspiracy/cover-up.
“Who Killed Jeffrey Epstein?” will launch sometime in 2020 and is produced by Jupiter Ent. with Patrick Reardon and Tim McConville as executive producers. For ID, Pamela Deutsch is executive producer, Sara Kozak is senior vice president of production, Kevin Bennett is general manager and Schleiff is the aforementioned group president.
“Twisted Love” is a six-part series that explores how “at any moment, a trusted love can turn into a treacherous fate.” Premiering on Feb. 3 at 9 p.m., “Twisted Love” follows stories from across the country to dive into the darker side of affection for episodes centered on what happens when parents disapprove of a child’s partner, who gets burned when a workplace romance goes awry, and who is to blame when an affair turns lethal.
“I love the idea of love, but these stories will stun even the most hopeless romantic. I’ve been a long-time ID fan, and I’ve never encountered stories as shocking as these crimes of love and passion,” said Kardashian, executive producer of the series, along with Stephanie Noonan Drachkovitch of 44 Blue Prods.
Added Schleiff: “Khloe is a repeat offender — of the best kind. We are thrilled to expand the ‘Twisted’ franchise with Khloe and her team. With her ‘killer’ instinct for storytelling combined with these jaw-dropping cases, ‘Twisted Love’ is set to be our most striking love-gone-wrong show of the year.”
Additionally, ID set the premiere of its Aaron Hernandez docu project for Jan. 20 at 9 p.m. Part of the “Murder Mystery” franchise, “Aaron Hernandez: An ID Murder Mystery” will explore whether Hernandez, a former pro football player who was celebrated for his talents on the field, was “acting out of unexplainable malice, or were more deep-seated impulses at play?” when he committed murder.
“The case of Aaron Hernandez is, perhaps, one of the most stunning and perplexing criminal stories of this century,” said Schleiff. “Hernandez was in all ways, America’s golden boy, but this tragic case proves that no amount of money or fame can hide the true nature of a person.”
The special features one-on-one interviews with those closest to the case, including an interview with Hernandez’s childhood friend Dennis Sansoucie, who provides insight into Hernandez’s formative years and the secrets that he shielded in his final days. The project is produced by Jupiter Ent. with Allison Wallach and McConville as executive producers.
And finally, ID announced its upcoming documentary film entitled ‘In Memoriam” will air Feb. 8 at 9 p.m. This documentary sets out to tell the stories of survivors and first responders from recent gun violence attacks and mass shootings, including the Las Vegas Route 91 Harvest music festival, the Sutherland Springs Baptist Church and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., through emotional, in-depth first-person interviews.
“Gun violence can no longer be categorized as just pervasive–it is a devastating issue plaguing our country, where victims and survivors of mass shootings have often been overlooked as the news moved on,” said Schleiff. “This film is our first step to shed a klieg light on this epidemic, and one which we hope will serve as a catalyst to ignite awareness and sensible action around the true cost of these preventable tragedies.”
“” is produced by Top Hat Prods. At Top Hat, Ben Steele is creative director, Darren Kemp is executive producer and Sarah Foudy is producer. For ID, Jeanie Vink is executive producer.
