A Netflix documentary, "A Toxic Love Story," is recounting the 2016 case of Michelle Hadley, who was accused of using online advertisements to lure men to sexually assault her former fiancé's new wife. Despite initial evidence and witness claims that seemed to support the accusations, state and federal prosecutors determined the evidence was fabricated and the alleged victims were the perpetrators.
Hadley began dating Ian Diaz in 2013, and they separated in 2015. Diaz met Angela Connell in January 2016, and they married the following month. Connell moved into the condominium Diaz had purchased with Hadley. Beginning in June 2016, Angela Diaz began telling Anaheim police that Hadley was sending her increasingly violent emails, threatening her and an alleged unborn child. Angela Diaz also accused Hadley of impersonating her online and directing men to the condominium for "rape fantasy" encounters.
At least two men told investigators they believed they were invited to participate in consensual "rape fantasy" encounters. On June 24, 2016, Angela Diaz called 911, claiming a man had entered her garage and attempted to rape her. Police arrested Hadley that day and released her on $100,000 bail. She was arrested again on July 14, with bail set at $1 million, as the alleged threats continued.
Hadley faced felony charges that could have resulted in a life sentence. However, inconsistencies emerged in the case. After Hadley's initial arrest, Angela Diaz reported that the emails had ceased. When Hadley was released, the threatening messages resumed, even though Hadley did not yet have access to her email, according to prosecutors. Hadley remained jailed until October 7, 2016, when prosecutors released her. On January 9, 2017, Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas dismissed all charges against Hadley and publicly declared her "fully exonerated."
Investigators traced the threatening emails and sexual advertisements not to Hadley, but to the condominium shared by Ian and Angela Diaz, Angela's cellphone, and her father's home in Arizona. Authorities stated that Angela Diaz used approximately eight email accounts, VPNs, and proxy servers to conceal the origin of the messages. She sent threats to herself, impersonated Hadley, and provided men with photographs of herself, her address, and details of her daily routine. The investigation also revealed a pattern of deception by Angela Diaz, who prosecutors said had faked cervical cancer, pretended to be an attorney, forged doctor's notes, fabricated a pregnancy, and altered checks. In October 2017, Angela Diaz pleaded guilty to charges including kidnapping, false imprisonment, forgery, perjury, grand theft, and falsely reporting crimes. She was sentenced to five years in state prison.
Initially, Ian Diaz claimed he was unaware of his wife's actions. However, a federal probe initiated in 2017 revealed he had masterminded the entire plot. He was indicted in 2021 and relieved of his duties as a criminal investigator in Los Angeles. A jury convicted Ian Diaz of conspiracy to commit cyberstalking, cyberstalking, perjury, and obstructing a federal proceeding. He received a sentence of 10 years and one month in prison. Special Agent in Charge Harry Lidsky of the Department of Justice's cybercrimes unit stated that Diaz's "egregious actions and lies to law enforcement stripped a woman of her freedom and liberty."
Following her exoneration, Hadley filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Anaheim, four city employees, Angela Diaz, and Ian Diaz. In April 2021, Hadley and the Anaheim defendants reached a settlement approved by the City Council, resulting in the dismissal of her claims against the city and its employees. Hadley and Angela Diaz were also finalizing a separate agreement, though financial terms were not disclosed.