9 hours ago
1
The docuseries Don’t Date Brandon unpacked the shocking revelations about Brandon Johnson leading to his arrest for assault and attempted kidnapping with intent to sexually assault — but where is he now?
The three-part doc, which premiered on Paramount+ in October, featured Johnson’s first wife, Athena Klingerman, and second wife, Amber Rasmussen, who were also able to get other victims to speak out about their experiences with him.
According to Klingerman, they met in 2007 and expanded their family two years later. Their relationship became fractured when Johnson started cheating and mistreated her older daughter from a previous marriage.
Klingerman claimed that Johnson refused to move out and threatened suicide before their divorce in 2012. From there, he met Rasmussen and they got engaged a few months later. Johnson then started to exhibit strange behavior, which he attributed to a leukemia diagnosis that Klingerman was never able to substantiate.
Rasmussen ultimately learned that Johnson was in relationships with other women and was posing as Klingerman on a shared family app to manipulate both of them. Rasmussen and Klingerman got in contact and later uncovered that Johnson was charged with domestic violence and entrapment, which earned him a suspended sentence.
Johnson was arrested and charged with unlawful imprisonment and threatening to kill Klingerman. A court later ordered him to have no contact with either Klingerman or Rasmussen for five years. Amid ongoing issues with Johnson breaking the requirements of their individual restraining orders, the women launched the “Ex-Wives Undercover” podcast that put them in touch with Johnson’s ex-girlfriends with similar stories.
The alleged conman was ultimately arrested on assault charges and attempted kidnapping with intent to rape an ex, which is addressed in Don’t Date Brandon.
“We’re very aware that he always has plans. But I think that it would be crazy of us not to expect him to retaliate at any moment,” Klingerman exclusively told Us Weekly in October. “But again, we just take everything day by day. We can’t sit there and dwell or be overly anxious about what’s going to happen. We just have to move forward, put our voices out there and continue to do what we’re doing and spread the word in a sense that gives us a little bit more protection. Once he does get out, we’ll be on guard a bit.”
Keep scrolling for a breakdown of Johnson’s various legal issues — and an update on where he is now:
What Was Brandon Johnson Accused of in the Past?
Leading up to his arrest, Johnson had at least 17 protective orders filed against him from six different women that he dated, including both Rasmussen and Klingerman. Johnson also had three counts of domestic violence and one count of entrapment on his record, which he pleaded guilty to before getting a suspended sentence.
Johnson subsequently pleaded guilty to insurance fraud and was sentenced to community service. Despite still having outstanding warrants in Washington for felony theft, reckless endangerment and eluding arrest on protective order violations, it wasn’t until his arrest for assault and attempted kidnapping with intent to rape an ex that he was sentenced to prison time.
Why Was He Arrested?
Johnson pleaded guilty in 2023 to assault and attempted kidnapping with intent to rape. After his ex Rachel ended their relationship, he allegedly placed listening devices in her home and a GPS tracker. Rachel was granted a protective order in 2022 but Johnson broke into her home and sexually assaulted her.
He returned again later that year and attacked Rachel and her male friend. The authorities discovered items in Johnson’s car that were consistent with a planned abduction including handcuffs and duct tape.
Johnson also admitted to 10 counts of attempted first-degree theft in a separate fraud case, which led to a 10-year plea deal. A judge sentenced Johnson to 36 months in prison for the fraud case — to be served concurrently with his 10-year term. Johnson agreed to lifetime registration as a sex offender in California as part of the deal.
What Has Brandon Johnson Said About the Accusations Against Him?
Ahead of the docuseries’ release, Johnson denied certain claims made by Rasmussen and Klingerman while referring to them as “fabricated.”
“Looking back over the years, I wish the legal system had stepped in to offer me more help,” he previously wrote to The Sacramento Bee in January 2023. “Seeing a pattern of off-the-wall behavior, the most that ever happened was fines.”
What Did ‘Don’t Date Brandon’ Reveal About Him?
Rasmussen noted that their docuseries and podcast are “really complementary” but there are different details in both that offer the full story. “There’s things in the docuseries that weren’t in the podcast,” she added. “People that started that way are getting the cherry on top with the doc. The people who watch the docuseries first, there’s more to the story. There are more women and lots more cons.”
Thank You!
You have successfully subscribed.
Klingerman, meanwhile, added: “The challenge that our production team had was getting anybody to speak positively on Brandon’s side. I don’t think he had anybody that stepped forward.”
Where Is Brandon Johnson Now?
Johnson is currently serving his sentence but he will be eligible for parole in May 2027.
Is Brandon Johnson Eligible for Parole?
“[2027 is] really soon. We had all hoped for a longer sentence. It’s not going to be long enough for him to even — unfortunately — make a difference,” Rasmussen told Us. “I think he’ll probably be on his best behavior for a little while and he might do some smear campaigns because he’s kind of known for that. But again, once he feels like things have died down, he’s going to be back at it.”
English (US) ·