Watch Broken Harts

Broken Harts is a documentary series that follows the tragic story of the Hart family, who seem to be the perfect family from the outside but have a dark secret that eventually led to their downfall. The series explores the events leading up to the family's fatal car crash in March 2018, which killed both parents and their six adopted children, unraveling the disturbing truth behind their seemingly idyllic lives and their abusive behavior towards their children.

The main focus of the series is on Sarah and Jen Hart, the mothers of the children, who had a picture-perfect life on social media but lived in terror behind closed doors. The series digs deep into their fractured and tumultuous upbringing, which led them to seek solace in adopting children while also grappling with their own mental health issues. Sarah, who homeschooled the children, was a licensed herbalist and had a degree in dental hygiene, while Jen was a stay-at-home mom who loved to travel and document their family activities on their blog.

The documentary series gives an extensive overview of the Hart family's life before the accident, the events leading up to it, and the investigation that followed. It highlights evidence obtained from incidents before the accident, including an incident in 2011 in which one of the children, Abigail, was found with bruises to her back and buttocks after being disciplined with a wooden spoon by Sarah. Medical reports confirmed the child's injuries were due to physical abuse.

The series analyzes crucial moments when the family traveled to various states and holiday destinations during which the children were deprived of food, water, and personal hygiene. The children were monitored very closely, and when they ran away, they were punished severely. The documentary also includes extensive interviews with family members, neighbors, friends, and people who came into contact with the Harts, whose observations reflect that the Harts' perfect life was nothing but a façade to hide something far more sinister.

The series also throws light on the Harts' social activism and how it brought unwanted media attention towards their family, which they perceived as a threat to their adoptive family. The Harts posted about their activism work online, which attracted trolls and threats that the couple felt amounted to stalking. This pushed them to become more reclusive and guarded, and the final moments leading up to the tragic event that killed the family was an attempt to escape their followers and online harassment.

Broken Harts is a thought-provoking and disturbing series that questions parenting styles, mental health issues, and the adoption system in America. It raises questions about the laws surrounding adopting children, the need for increased scrutiny of families who adopt children, and the rights of biological parents to access their children. The documentary is a cautionary tale of good intentions gone wrong, where the children never received the love and care they deserved and were eventually killed by the very people who were supposed to love them the most.

In conclusion, Broken Harts is a captivating, heart-wrenching, and informative documentary series that delves deep into the life of the Hart family and their journey to their fateful demise. The series sheds light on their dark secrets, pushes viewers to confront complex issues, and shines a light on the system's failures that allowed these abuses to take place over a prolonged period of time. This series is not for the faint-hearted but a must-watch for those interested in understanding the real-life complexities behind foster parenting and adoption.

Broken Harts is a series that ran for 1 seasons (2 episodes) between May 18, 2021 and on discovery+