Woman Who 'Really Didn't Like' Ex-Husband's New Wife Dies Before Completing 35-Year Grudge

SAN DIEGO, CA — Betty Broderick, a woman whose dedication to not moving on from her divorce was described by psychiatrists as 'genuinely unprecedented' and 'a little much,' died this week at age 78, technically leaving her life's work incomplete, since she had originally planned to also be very rude to her ex-husband's tennis instructor.

Broderick, who had been serving a life sentence in a California prison since 1991, was transferred to a medical center last month, where sources say she reportedly complained that the hospital décor 'had the same energy as Dan's new kitchen,' a reference that staff acknowledged they had stopped asking about.

'She was absolutely committed to her bit,' said Dr. Patricia Holloway, a forensic psychologist who never actually met Broderick but has very strong opinions. 'Most people, after a divorce, maybe eat a pint of ice cream, journal a little, eventually start watching a new TV show. Betty really took a different road and just stayed on that road for like four decades.'

Fellow inmates remembered Broderick as 'memorable,' 'a lot to deal with at breakfast,' and 'the reason we eventually banned the topic of alimony from Tuesday game nights.'

The California Department of Corrections released a brief statement saying Broderick's prison cell has been reassigned, adding that they found inside it '47 journals, a dartboard with no darts, and a framed cross-stitch that read: I Was Right, Though.'

Broderick's story famously inspired two television movies, a podcast, a prestige drama series, and at least one TED Talk titled 'Letting Go: A Guide for People Who Are Definitely Not Betty Broderick.' The speaker of that talk later admitted he had not let go of anything.

Grief therapist Linda Marsh offered measured condolences.

'At a certain point, we have to ask ourselves: when does holding a grudge become a personality, and when does a personality become a life sentence?' Marsh said. 'In Betty's case, the answer to both questions was, remarkably, the same event.'

Broderick is survived by her children, several million people who watched her Dirty John episode twice, and the enduring cultural reminder that you should probably get a good lawyer before the paperwork is finalized.

She was 78. She had thoughts about that, too.