Betrayal: Weekly – Brandi | Betrayal Weekly

Host: Andrea Gunning
Guest: Brandi Dredge
Date: August 28, 2025

Overview

This episode of Betrayal Weekly centers on Brandi Dredge’s harrowing and deeply personal journey: from a small-town Missouri childhood to a teenage romance that spiraled into a marriage shaped by lies, legal battles, and devastating betrayals. Brandi recounts how her relationship with Gary Richard began as love, became a crime without her awareness, and only through hindsight—and the intervention of the law—did she truly understand the depth of deception she endured. Her story is one of awakening, pain, resilience, and ultimately, advocacy for others.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Brandi’s Childhood and Early Lessons on Love (04:16–06:37)

• Brandi recalls rural Missouri life in the 1980s: simple, close-knit, and scarce on resources.
• “A lot of home-cooked meals, a lot of playing in the neighborhood until the street lights came on.” (Brandi, 04:16)
• Reinforced gender roles: “My purpose in life was to make a man happy.” (Brandi, 05:37)
• Love was seen as transactional and tied to service, shaping her later relationships.
• Early experiences with rebellion, cheerleading, and attraction to “bad boys” (06:24–06:33).

2. Meeting Gary Richard: Attraction Without Suspicion (06:41–12:23)

• Gary Richard was an older, charismatic man (24) when Brandi (16) first met him (08:22–10:06).
• Brandi was swept off her feet by his charm and apparent maturity:
  “He just looked like he hung the moon … Age didn’t even come into the equation.” (Brandi, 10:06–10:12)
• She quickly moved in with him, lied to her parents, and became pregnant after four months (13:12).
• Despite family disapproval and rumors about Gary’s criminal history, Brandi believed she could “fix him.”

3. Pregnancy, Marriage, and Overlooked Warnings (12:23–18:26)

• Brandi’s family reluctantly offered support only if she stayed home; Brandi insisted on being with Gary Richard, promising to finish high school (14:26).
• Pregnancy led to discussions of marriage—particularly to bolster Gary’s legal defense, as suggested by his attorney (17:05–17:30).
• Brandi needed parental consent to marry at 17; her mother eventually signed (18:06).
• Memorable moment: The wedding was orchestrated less for love than to influence the legal system.

4. Building a Family Under a Shadow (23:06–27:54)

• Brandi was determined not to live up to the “teenage pregnancy statistic,” striving to finish school and support her family (23:30).
• Gary Richard’s old habits persisted—hanging out with teenagers, financial instability, and job inconsistency.
• “There was never people his own age. … When you’re looking at somebody through the rose colored glasses, red flags are invisible.” (Brandi, 24:23–24:53)

5. The Breaking Point: Betrayal and Abuse Unveiled (28:25–34:42)

• The marriage deteriorated into emotional abuse:
  “The snide little comments...the sacrifice that you make as his person.” (Brandi, 28:00)
• Gary Richard was served a restraining order after being accused by a 15-year-old girl (29:10–29:41).
• Brandi initially believed Gary’s denial but soon uncovered disturbing online activity, including conversations with underage girls (31:01–31:26).
• Brandi’s decisive moment: “Usually he would have been able to talk me out of that, and he didn’t.… for one of the first times … I’m actually in control.” (Brandi, 31:57–32:24)
• Increasing threats: Gary sabotaged Brandi’s car, flattened her tire, and violently threatened self-harm in her presence (33:02–34:17).

6. Legal Aftermath: From Witness to Victim (35:05–44:28)

• Brandi cooperated with the police, providing statements to support the case against Gary Richard (35:24–36:03).
• Shockingly, the investigation resulted in statutory rape charges—not just for other victims, but for Brandi herself due to her age at conception and the DNA evidence provided by their son (36:51–43:05).
• “They’re going to charge him for you. … I have evidence of the crime. I have a son.” (Police Detective to Brandi, 36:51–37:31)
• Brandi’s painful realization: “It felt like, as a mom, you’re saying my son shouldn’t be here, like you’re saying my son’s a crime and, you know, he’s not evidence, he’s my son.” (Brandi, 43:47)

7. Justice and the Cost of Truth (43:40–48:37)

• Gary Richard was sentenced to seven years and had to register as a sex offender (46:52).
• Brandi’s divorce proceeded rapidly, but emotionally, she could not reconcile the idea of being a “statutory rape” victim until later, after receiving a deeply troubling letter from Gary in prison (47:16–48:00).
• “If you think all people think this, this is not right. … I’m done, done. There’s no contact and there’s, you know, never been since then.” (Brandi, 48:00)

8. Rebuilding and Advocacy (48:47–53:04)

• Brandi rebuilt her life with the support of her family, church, and community.
• She became actively involved in the National Coalition to End Child Marriage, testifying at the state capitol about her experience (51:51).
• Her perspective shifted to acknowledge the grooming, manipulation, and broader impact of child marriage laws:
  “I can see the manipulation now. … That is a form of forced marriage that I would have never seen until literally. Now that I’ve been doing this work … light bulb moment.” (Brandi, 52:25)
• Missouri’s legal changes now prevent marriage under 18, regardless of parental consent (52:45–52:54).

9. Turning Trauma into Empowerment (53:04–54:47)

• Brandi embraced her identity as a “child marriage, sex crime and domestic violence survivor,” and published her memoir, Girl Uncoded (53:04).
• Book Excerpt:
  “I was no longer ashamed of my life, my home, or the choices I had made. I saw the happy ending from the beginning … I’m proud of it. Proud of me.” (Brandi, 54:12–54:47)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Hindsight’s a powerful thing, and we share the stories so that hopefully somebody will see it and the light bulb might go off.”
  – Brandi (03:32)
• “When you’re looking at somebody through the rose colored glasses, red flags are invisible.”
  – Brandi (24:53)
• “It felt like, as a mom, you’re saying my son shouldn’t be here, like you’re saying my son’s a crime and, you know, he’s not evidence, he’s my son.”
  – Brandi (43:47)
• “I married my rapist. Hindsight’s a powerful thing.”
  – Brandi (53:04)
• “It’s to help somebody see what I couldn’t … That’s why.”
  – Brandi (54:56)

Essential Timestamps

• 04:16 – Brandi’s Missouri childhood and early family values
• 08:22 – First encounter with Gary Richard
• 10:06 – Realization of their age gap (16 and 24)
• 13:12 – Brandi becomes pregnant at 16
• 17:05 – Attorney suggests marriage before court date
• 18:06 – Parental consent for underage marriage
• 23:30 – Determination to not be a statistic as a teen mom
• 24:53 – Rose-colored glasses and invisible red flags
• 28:50 – Police serve restraining order after abuse allegation
• 31:01 – Brandi discovers digital evidence; starts her ‘exit plan’
• 33:10 – Gary sabotages her car, endangers her and her child
• 34:49 – Brandi reports domestic violence, begins legal separation
• 36:51 – Statutory rape charges filed due to DNA evidence of their son
• 43:47 – “He’s not evidence, he’s my son.”
• 46:52 – Gary Richard sentenced, Brandi’s expedited divorce
• 52:45 – Missouri legal reform regarding underage marriage

Conclusion & Brandi's Final Thoughts

• Brandi’s journey highlights the hidden dangers of grooming, manipulation, and outdated marriage laws, and the emotional complexity survivors face even as justice is served.
• Her advocacy is focused on ensuring no other child is pushed into the kind of coerced marriage or legal limbo she endured.
• In her words: “If this can help one person see abuse in a different way, see manipulation in a different way, grooming in a different way, to help somebody see what I could not see … that’s why.” (54:56)

For more resources, visit Beyond Betrayal Substack.
Brandi’s book, Girl Uncoded, is available now.