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20/20
Air Date: Friday, September 13, 2024
Time Slot: 9:01 PM-11:00 PM EST on ABC
Episode Title: (#4634) "The Pointe of No Return"
[NOTE: The following article is a press release issued by the aforementioned network and/or company. Any errors, typos, etc. are attributed to the original author. The release is reproduced solely for the dissemination of the enclosed information.]

NEW EPISODES

FRIDAY, SEPT. 13

9:01-11:00 p.m. EDT - 20/20

Exclusive interview with Ashley Benefield, the woman at the center of the so-called "Black Swan Trial." Was she forced to defend her life, or was there something more behind the killing?

AN ALL-NEW '20/20' FEATURES ASHLEY BENEFIELD TELLING HER STORY IN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH DEBORAH ROBERTS

Former Ballet Dancer at the Center of the So-Called 'Black Swan Trial,' Accused of Fatally Shooting Husband, Breaks Her Silence

In 2016, the once aspiring ballerina Ashley Benefield met her husband Doug, a Navy veteran and businessman, in Palm Beach, Florida. The two began a whirlwind romance and married just 13 days after meeting for the first time. While the couple set out to revolutionize the dance world with the creation of the American National Ballet, their dreams quickly unraveled when adequate funding for the company failed to materialize.

Over the next three years, the couple's tumultuous relationship would also fall apart, and in September 2020, Ashley shot Doug in her Florida home. She claimed self-defense, alleging years of domestic abuse and invoked Florida's controversial Stand Your Ground law. Doug's family and friends, however, painted a different picture, accusing Ashley of manipulation and deception and refuting the claims of domestic abuse. The case would draw national attention with Ashley being called a "Black Swan" - some seeing her as a woman who concealed her true nature behind a facade of grace and beauty, ultimately leading to Doug's untimely death and others seeing her as an alleged victim of domestic violence who was trying to protect herself.

In an exclusive interview, Benefield breaks her silence, sitting down with co-anchor Deborah Roberts to provide shocking details of the events leading up to the shooting and the continued legal battles she faces over Doug's killing.

The "20/20" episode includes interviews with Ashley's mother, Alicia Byers; Doug's daughter, Eva Benefield; assistant state attorneys Suzanne O'Donnell and Rebecca Freel; Ashley's defense attorney, Neil Taylor; former American National Ballet principal dancer Sara Murawski; Doug's cousin Tommie Benefield; and family attorney Stephanie Murphy.

This episode of "20/20" airs Friday, Sept. 13 (9:01-11:00 p.m. EDT), on ABC, next day on Hulu.

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20/20 (ABC)
BROADCAST HISTORY:
6/6/78 - ???
STATUS:
currently airing (fall 2024)
TIME SLOT:
fridays from 9:01 PM-11:00 PM EST
CURRENT SEASON:
47 (??? episodes)
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DESCRIPTION:
(from ABC's web site, September 2024) ABC News' "20/20" is an award-winning primetime program anchored by David Muir and Deborah Roberts. A proven leader as a long-form newsmagazine for over 40 years, "20/20" features unforgettable, character-driven true crime mysteries, exclusive newsmaker interviews, hard-hitting investigative reports and in-depth coverage of high profile stories.
PRINCIPAL CAST INFORMATION:
· Amy Robach as Anchor
· David Muir as Anchor
CREW INFORMATION:
· David Sloan as EP
GENRE(S):
· newsmagazine
STUDIO INFORMATION:
· ABC News