Fans of The Bold and the Beautiful will soon get to see Ashley Jones in a very different role. She is starring in a new Lifetime movie called The Girl Who Survived: The Alina Thompson Story. The film premieres on September 20 and is part of the network’s “Ripped From the Headlines” series.
The story takes viewers back to Los Angeles in the 1980s. A fifteen-year-old girl named Alina, played by Brielle Robillard, dreams of becoming a model. Like many teens, she wants to chase her dreams quickly. Against her parents’ wishes, she sneaks off to attend what she thinks is a simple photo casting. Her parents, played by Sam Trammell and Ashley Jones, have no idea she is walking into danger.
At the casting, Alina meets a photographer named William Bradford, played by Steve Byers. He seems successful, kind, and full of opportunities. But behind his charm is something much darker. Bradford is actually a serial killer who lures young girls with promises of modeling jobs and magazine covers. He convinces Alina to keep secrets from her parents, telling her that they are only holding her back.
In an exclusive teaser, Bradford manipulates her with promises of New York agencies and glamorous photo shoots. He pushes her to take riskier pictures and to trust him completely. His lies make Alina believe that fame is just around the corner, but in reality, she is walking into a trap.
Luckily, Alina’s story does not end the way Bradford planned. Her father’s protective instincts and a series of twists save her from becoming his next victim. While she survived, others did not. Bradford was convicted in 1987 of murdering two models and was sentenced to life in prison. He later died in 2008 while on death row.
The real Alina has shared her gratitude toward the cast, thanking them on Instagram for bringing her story to the screen. Ashley Jones, who plays Alina’s mother, is also an executive producer on the project. She has worked with Lifetime many times before in both acting and directing roles. Soap opera fans also know her well as Dr. Bridget Forrester on The Bold and the Beautiful.
This film is part of Lifetime’s latest lineup of true crime movies. The season begins on September 13 with A Husband to Die For: The Lisa Aguilar Story and continues on September 27 with I Was a Child Bride: The Courtney Stodden Story.
Credits – TV Insider
