“So, I married an axe murderer,” Justin Timberlake captioned an Instagram Story he posted in the early hours of Thursday (May 12). Justin, 41, wasn’t referring to Mike Myers’ 1993 dark comedy of the same name. Instead, the “Man of the Woods” singer revealed his cameo in Candy, a Hulu limited-series starring his wife, Jessica Biel. Jessica, 41, plays the titular Candy Montgomery, who killed her best friend in 1980 with an axe, and Justin will appear on the show as a detective.
“Belly’s fake, hair’s fake, mustache is real. Meet Diffy,” Justin captioned an IG Gallery of him alongside his wife, both dressed for their Candy roles. Justin’s stomach peered over the edge of his belt, which brandished his officer’s badge and giant belt buckle. Gone was the man who made “SexyBack,” and in his place stood someone who could pass for a high school vice-principal from the Midwest. Jessica also shared some photos on her account. “Watch out, Candy. There’s a new sheriff in town,” she wrote.
Candy details the 1980 incident in the small North Texas town of Wylie. Candy Montgomery killed her best friend, Betty Gore (played by Melanie Lynskey) but was acquitted of murder, citing self-defense. Candy had been having an affair with Betty’s husband, Allan Gore, which resulted in Betty confronting her friend on June 13, 1980. This led to a struggle with an axe, according to WFAA, and Candy prevailed before reportedly striking Betty 41 times with the weapon.
During the trial, Candy pleaded that she killed Betty out of self-preservation and argued that “after being struck twice with the ax by [Betty] and then gaining control of the weapon, the heavier and larger [Betty] refused to let [Candy] go.” The prosecution argued that Candy could have fled instead of killing her friend. A jury found Candy not guilty.
Following the acquittal, Candy and her husband, Pat Montgomery, moved to Georgia. The couple divorced, according to Distractify, and Candy works as a mental health counselor. Candy’s family is “displeased that all this is being dredged up,” according to Buzzfeed, with one family member telling reporter Stephanie McNeal that it’s “extremely frustrating and definitely stressful. I hate that when I just want to scroll through the Hulu menu, I get slammed with a giant picture of ‘Candy.’”