Denise Huskins and Aaron Quinn’s lives were turned upside down when Matthew Muller broke into their home on March 22, 2015, and kidnapped Denise. Their story is explored in the new Netflix docuseries American Nightmare. The pair opened up more about their experience and their feelings about the media coverage (especially the comparisons to Gone Girl) about the case in a People interview, published on January 30, 2024. When Aaron awoke after being drugged by Matthew, he went to the Vallejo police to explain what happened. Instead of believing Aaron’s claim that Denise had been kidnapped, police assumed that Aaron had something to do with Denise’s disappearance.
Denise was held captive by Matthew in South Lake Tahoe and raped twice. When Denise resurfaced after being released by Matthew, police still didn’t believe her story and assumed it was all a hoax. It wasn’t until Matthew got arrested for another home invasion that there was a break in Denise’s case.
Eventually, Matthew was held responsible for his crimes. He was sentenced to 40 years on a federal kidnapping charge and then got 31 additional years for two counts of forcible rape and other charges. But what happened to Denise and Aaron? Are they still together? Let’s break down where they are today.
Yes, Denise and Aaron are still together. After surviving the kidnapping ordeal and the claims of it all being a hoax, Denise and Aaron emerged stronger than ever. Denise and Aaron sued the city of Vallejo for defamation. They settled out of court for $2.5 million.
In their 20/20 interview, Denise and Aaron admitted that they went to a lot of therapy after their ordeal. They also wrote the book V
The couple opened up about how they want to use their experience to help others in the above-mentioned People interview. “We hope to do more speaking, whether it’s with law enforcement, survivors, nurses, doctors, anyone who might come into this situation and work with victims or deal with these kinds of cases and just share what we went through, the bigger themes that a lot of other survivors go through,” Denise said. “And hopefully collaborate and try to figure out a better strategy.”
The couple got married on September 29, 2018. They moved to the coast and started a new life together. “Our wedding was just a perfect day,” Aaron said on 20/20. “Everyone who had supported us over the last few years was there. All our attorneys were there.” Denise added, “Including the detective who linked him to our case, Misty Carausu.” Their first dance as a married couple was to “Riser” by Dierks Bentley.
Denise and Aaron welcomed their first child in March 2020, a daughter named Olivia. She was born 5 years to the day after Denise’s release. They now have a second daughter named Naomi. She was born in 2022. “It feels like our family is complete,” Aaron said in the docuseries.
Denise also opened up about her daughters. “I want them to know their value and to never let anyone dictate that or determine that for them,” she said. “Aaron added, “More than anything, I just hope that they grow up to be like their mom. And if they do that, they’ll be okay.”
Aaron explained how the experience has affected how he parents his daughters and shows emotion. “For me, I have recognized that I need people’s help or I need to reach out for help,” he told People. “[When] I felt those [hard] emotions, I just would keep them hidden. And as a dad, I want to be able to show my daughters that it’s okay to be vulnerable and reach out.”
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