Casey Anthony Details Allegations Against Her Father In Revealing New Documentary
Casey Anthony, who was thrust into the international spotlight in 2008, made news again in 2022 thanks to Peacock's "Casey Anthony: Where the Truth Lies," which gives the once-accused child killer another chance to tell her story. Anthony, who was 22 years old at the time of her arrest, was charged with seven counts by an Orlando grand jury (via CNN). After a lengthy and well-publicized trial, she was acquitted on all charges save for four counts of lying to police. Acquitted of the first-degree murder charge, Anthony escaped the death penalty and was able to walk away with a $4,000 fine and time served (per the Orlando Sentinel).
In the years since her trial, she has tried to stay out of the public eye, but even 14 years after her daughter's death, she is still fodder for tabloids. According to the Associated Press in 2017, Anthony told the publication she "dreads the supermarket checkout line" because she's afraid of seeing herself or her dead daughter on the cover of a publication while she's waiting. The source reported that Anthony would hit the bars on occasion but would many times find the need to quietly slip away when other patrons recognized her and snapped photos.
The Peacock docuseries is the first time Anthony has sat down for an on-camera interview. The details she shares about her daughter's untimely death and who she ultimately blames for it will pique the curiosity of many who followed the case years ago.
She recalls her version of the day Caylee disappeared
Jurors voted to acquit Casey Anthony because they determined that the prosecution did not prove what had caused her daughter's death (via People). Anthony's defense attorney, Jose Baez, charged that the toddler had drowned in a swimming pool at the home Anthony shared with George and Cindy Anthony, her parents. Baez additionally offered the accusation that Anthony had been sexually abused by her father and that the family patriarch worked to help cover up little Caylee's death.
In the interview with Peacock, Anthony further expounds on the serious allegations that her attorney had presented at her trial. People reports that Anthony is sticking to her guns about her father's alleged sexual abuse of her growing up and also maintains that she was assaulted by her brother, Lee. The news outlet stated that both George and Lee "vehemently denied" the allegations the allegations during her trial. Neither man has ever been charged.
Per the New York Daily News, Anthony stated that her father would "put a pillow over my face and smother me to knock me out. That happened several times. I'm sure there were times where I was incapacitated as a child, where my body was limp and lifeless." She believes that her daughter was also a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of George and that her death was no accident.
Anthony says she remembers the day her daughter disappeared. She was laying down for a nap and had Caylee with her. She was later shaken awake by her father, who was demanding to know where Caylee was.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Casey Anthony alleges that her father might have begun abusing Caylee
Casey Anthony spoke of her franticly searching for her daughter, finally going outside and catching sight of her in George Anthony's arms. He handed the girl to Casey, who recalls that her daughter's body was "heavy" and "cold" (per People). Casey says that her father immediately blamed her for the condition her daughter was in, saying that what happened was all her fault. She said that he then took Caylee back from her and "soften[ed] his tone." Casey alleges that her father assured her that everything was "going to be okay" and left, still holding Caylee.
The theory here is that George was trying to tell his daughter that Caylee had accidentally drowned in the family pool. According to Casey, this was an impossibility. She said in her interview that the above-ground pool had no ladder and that Caylee could not have gotten into it on her own. She charges that George put the girl into the pool and caused her to drown.
Casey believes that her father may have begun sexually abusing her daughter and that her death was his way of covering up his actions. She insists that she did not know that her child was dead, believing the assurances her father gave her over the next month that Caylee was doing okay every time she asked him about her. The life she led in the aftermath of that day was allegedly performed under his instructions — Casey said she was told to "act as normal" as she could.
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.