Katie Cassidy completely transformed into Karen Read for Lifetime’s new film, Accused: The Karen Read Story.
“I just tried to embody the character, and I do believe that there’s three sides to every story,” Cassidy, 39, exclusively told Us Weekly ahead of the TV movie’s Saturday, January 10, premiere. “There’s her side, there’s their side, and then there’s the truth, and the truth always comes out.”
Read, 45, was arrested in 2022 for the second-degree murder of her then-boyfriend, John O’Keefe. She pleaded not guilty and, in June 2025, was ultimately acquitted of all charges in connection to O’Keefe’s death and leaving the scene of an accident. Read was found guilty of operating a vehicle under the influence and sentenced to a one-year probation.
Cassidy, for her part, plays Read in a made-for-TV recreation of the true crime story.
“There [is] certainly some amount of pressure, but I also couldn’t let myself go there because then it would put me in my head,” Cassidy told Us of stepping into Read’s shoes. “There is a piece of me that goes into every character I play, of course, but I wanted to do [Karen] justice, and I think I did.”
Read was not involved in the production of Accused, though Cassidy hopes that she will be pleased by the final cut.
“I hope she is proud of it in a way,” Cassidy said. “I hope she is flattered by my portrayal of her.”
According to the actress, she approached the role differently than how she usually prepares to embody TV and movie characters.
Katie Cassidy in ‘Accused.’ Courtesy of Lifetime/ YouTube
“Normally I approach material, I’ll read a script, do script analysis and build backstory, but in this case, because it’s a real story, I didn’t really,” Cassidy explained. “I had to flood myself with, like, as much research as I possibly could, and then just let it go and trust myself and throw myself into it.”
Cassidy further praised Accused director Linda-Lisa Hayter’s support in bringing the movie to life.
“Our director, Linda-Lisa Hayter, was fantastic. She was my rock while we were shooting,” she said. “I couldn’t have done this without her. She was fantastic because … it was very intense and emotional.”
While Accused highlights Read’s story, Cassidy also hopes that the film serves as a tribute to the late O’Keefe.
“From what I learned, he was a really wonderful man and took over even his sister’s children and was their parent because he lost his sister,” Cassidy said. “So, you know, such a good person’s life was lost here, and that’s why I think it was important for us to acknowledge that and shine a light on that. I hope this pays a tribute to his life in a way, and that was really important to us and the producers.”
Since wrapping Accused, it admittedly took Cassidy a moment to separate herself from the character.
Karen Read. Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images
“I feel like I’m still in the process of decompressing from it all,” she told Us. “It takes some time, definitely, [and with] physically and mannerisms … it stuck with me longer.”
The Gossip Girl alum further pointed out that letting go of a character is similar to “grieving” a death.
“I know this might sound weird or morbid, but it’s, in a way, like grieving a death of a character,” Cassidy added. “You have to let it go and then recenter yourself and decompress and come back down to earth and ground, and it’s a bit of a process.”
Accused: The Karen Read Story premieres on Lifetime Saturday, January 10, at 8 p.m. ET.
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