Don’t Date Brandon premieres on Paramount+ today as women expose manipulative ex-husband

Don’t Date Brandon premieres on Paramount+ today with all three episodes available. The new true-crime docuseries exposes Brandon Johnson, a manipulative ex-husband. Two of his ex-wives unite to warn other women. The entire ordeal unfolds across 159 minutes of gripping content.

What Happened: Two Women Expose a Manipulative Pattern

Amber Rasmussen met Brandon Johnson on Tinder in 2013. He proposed within six weeks of their in-person meeting. She quit her job in Portland to move to Seattle with him. Early red flags appeared immediately but she dismissed them.

Brandon’s ex-wife, Athena Klingerman, proved crucial to unraveling his deceptions. Brandon had repeatedly told Amber that Athena was “crazy” and unstable. He claimed Athena was obsessed with him. Court orders restricted their communication to a parenting app. When Amber finally contacted Athena directly, the truth emerged.

“This is a story about more than one man’s lies… it’s about survival, solidarity and the women who refused to stay silent.”

Brandon had fabricated medical records claiming he had leukemia. He’d also created fake text messages and social media accounts. He groomed Amber and Athena‘s daughter against her mother. Brandon manipulated both women simultaneously with different versions of his life story. The control was calculated and psychological.

Why This Matters: Female Solidarity Breaks the Silence

This docuseries resonates because it exposes patterns of manipulation. Domestic abuse often isolates victims. Abusers fragment their targets’ realities through constant deception. Brandon weaponized confusion. He turned ex-wives against each other. He positioned himself as the victim.

What makes Don’t Date Brandon powerful is the breakthrough moment. Amber and Athena refused to stay divided. They launched a podcast called Ex-Wives Undercover. Other women stepped forward with identical story patterns. The documentary inspired by that podcast now reaches millions on Paramount+. Silence broke. Truth prevailed.

The series explores toxic masculinity and how manipulators exploit dating apps. Brandon knew that online platforms offer anonymity. He created multiple profiles. He dated simultaneously. He isolated each partner from her support network. The story speaks to a modern dating reality.

The Details: Episode Breakdown and Crime Timeline

The docuseries was directed by Grace Chapman. See It Now Studios and Wag Entertainment co-produced it. Fremantle distributed it internationally. The three-part structure carefully builds tension and revelation.

Episode	Title	Runtime	Focus
Episode 1	Who The Hell Did I Marry?	45 minutes	Amber enlists Athena; discovers secrets
Episode 2	Trail of Lies	57 minutes	Podcast launches; more women emerge
Episode 3	Unhinged	57 minutes	New girlfriend warned; danger escalates

The first episode hooks viewers with Amber’s perspective. We see her relationship unfold naturally at first. Then deception creeps in. Brandon’s ex-wife appears as the “villain” initially. But perspective shifts.

By Episode 2, the podcast concept becomes the turning point. Athena and Amber weaponize truth. Other victims find them. Patterns emerge across multiple relationships. Brandon used identical tactics with every partner.

Episode 3 escalates when Brandon learns about the public exposure. A new girlfriend heeds their warnings. Brandon responds with stalking behavior. He breaks into her home. He attacks her. Behavior spirals. The danger becomes physical.

What To Watch For: Future Episodes and Cultural Impact

Viewers should pay attention to several key elements:

• The fake medical records Brandon created and how he sold them convincingly
• How many victims ultimately came forward on the podcast before the series aired
• The legal consequences shown in the final episode regarding criminal charges
• Tech manipulation: fake profiles, stolen images, and social media tactics
• Signs of abuse that viewers might recognize in their own relationships

This docuseries arrives during a broader cultural reckoning with online dating dangers. Tinder and similar apps created unprecedented opportunities for predators. Brandon exploited that system perfectly. His story represents a type of crime that’s hard to prosecute but devastating personally.

The series may inspire more victims to come forward. The podcast has already gone viral. Victims find community through exposure. Perpetrators lose their power in darkness. The docuseries amplifies that disinfectant.

Could Brandon’s Story Change How Dating Apps Screen Users?

One critical question looms: Will Don’t Date Brandon pressure dating platforms toward better vetting? Brandon created multiple identities. He used stolen photos. He falsified background information. Current systems fail to prevent this.

Watch the documentary to see how Ex-Wives Undercover compensated for systemic failures. The podcast became what background check tools should be. Amber and Athena did the work that platforms refused to do. Their community crowdsourced safety in a dangerous market.

The bigger question: Will platforms listen? Will they implement stronger identity verification? Will they ban proven manipulators permanently? Or will victims continue bearing the burden of community defense? Don’t Date Brandon raises these critical questions.

Sources

• Paramount+ – Official series synopsis and episode guide
• Deadline – Trailer announcement and production details
• Decider – Critical review of the three-part docuseries

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