Is Gaslit’s Jay Jennings Based on Real Person? – ‘Gaslit‘ is set against the backdrop of the Watergate Scandal, but it isn’t entirely focused on the infamous break-in and ensuing hijinks in American political and legal circles. They are just re-enacted in the program to provide a backdrop for the primary plot, which centres on Martha Mitchell (Julia Roberts), Nixon’s Attorney General John N. Mitchell’s wife (Sean Penn).
Martha was one of the first people to speak up about the Watergate scandal, and she was roundly chastised for it. ‘Gaslit‘ as a show aims to correct that historical error. ‘Gaslit’ depicts Martha as a complicated lady. Martha is estranged from her son Jay Jennings (John Berchtold) throughout the show, who initially appears in episode 5, “Honeymoon.”
We’ve got you covered if you’re wondering if Jay is based on a real person.
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Is Jay Jennings Based on Real-Life Person?
Yes, Jay Jennings is, in fact, based on a real person. Clyde Jay Jennings, Martha’s son from a previous marriage, appears to have inspired him. Clyde Jennings, Jr., a United States Army officer from Lynchburg, Virginia, was Jay’s father. On October 5, 1946, they were married. By that time, Jennings Jr. had already left the army.
Following that, the couple moved to New York. Martha gave birth to Jay in 1947 when they were living in Queens. Their marriage, however, did not last long, and they divorced in May 1956. Martha and Clyde Jennings, Jr. divorced in August 1957, according to reports.
In the same year, Martha married John N. Mitchell and moved to Rye, New York. Meanwhile, Jay grew up and went to the University of Mississippi to study law, where he met his future wife, Janis Crawford of Tylertown.
They apparently both dropped out of college at some time and were married in September 1974 at the First Baptist Church in Crawford’s hometown. Martha attended the ceremony, albeit a little late, owing to a flat tyre. Martha had already broken up with John by that time.
Martha later found out she had multiple myeloma. Jay looked after his mother and acted as her spokesperson until she died on May 31, 1976, in New York City. Her funeral was held at the First Presbyterian Church in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where she was born and raised.
Through the side door, Jay, John, and half-sister Marty came. During the event, one news site said that Jay was holding back tears and swallowing hard. Jay was a researcher for the Senate Subcommittee on Internal Security at the time.
He worked as an investigator for the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) in Washington in January 1980. Martha Mitchell’s belongings were reportedly auctioned off in Manhattan by a storage business.
According to reports, the company contacted John, but he reportedly responded that he didn’t want anything to do with Martha’s stuff. Most of the possessions Martha collected during her marriage to John were sold when she died, according to a “upset” Jay.
“Mitchell [John] purchased a baby-grand piano for my mother, which was worth $10,000 to $15,000.” When he sold it, was it hers or his? Lawyers are available to argue both sides. “However, these other items were from her previous marriage,” Jay explained. Jay’s father, Jennings, Jr., died on May 17, 2006. At the time, Jay was said to be residing in Woodbridge, Virginia. Apart from that, little is known about Jay, including his current location.
You can stream full episodes of Gaslit on Starz channel.
