Latest news with #AmyBradleyisMissing
Cosmopolitan
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
Amy Bradley's brother just debunked his own conspiracy theory about her disappearance
True crime fans have been gripped ever since Netflix's retelling of Amy Bradley's disappearance, Amy Bradley is Missing, first aired – and now, her younger brother, Brad, has been sharing his own unconfirmed theories about how his sister seemingly vanished over 25 years ago. Here's what we know about Amy Bradley's brother today and his thoughts on what could have caused his sister to go missing from the Royal Caribbean International cruise ship, Rhapsody of the Seas, while en route to Curaçao back in 1998. Brad Bradley is Amy Bradley's younger brother who was also on board the Rhapsody of the Seas cruise ship along with their parents, Ron and Iva, at the time of Amy's disappearance. Since she vanished on 24 March 1998, the family have refused to give up hope and continue to raise awareness of Amy's disappearance. Over the years, there have been numerous alleged sightings of Amy, everywhere from Barbados to California, leading some to believe she could have been kidnapped and sold into the illegal human trafficking industry in the Caribbean. Another alleged theory is that Amy was murdered and thrown overboard, however there is no evidence to confirm either theory. Now, Amy's brother, Brad, has spoken out about a further conspiracy theory he has in relation to his sibling and is appealing for information. These days, along with the docuseries, Brad is continuing to fight to find his sister by posting on social media platforms such as X and TikTok. In one post he thanked those who've offered support. "I wanted to convey how meaningful it is to me and the entire family, how much love and support and prayers and car[e] there's been in Amy's story after all these years," Brad said in one TikTok video. "It's one of the most heartening things I've ever experienced in my life." However, he also told People magazine the family have faced a torrent of abuse, "Over the years, we've grown some pretty thick skin, because there's always that side, you have the side of prayers, and support, and love, and caring, and all that good stuff. And then you have people just trying to chew us up and spit us out." One possibly unexplored angle which was not included in the series, or so Brad claims, is his idea that members of the religious organisation (or cult, depending on who you ask) Scientology could have had some involvement in Amy's vanishing. The controversial group has been the subject of many documentaries itself. On X, Brad has described how, in their distress shortly after Amy went missing, his parents requested for a priest to join them on board the ship to pray and for comfort. While one couldn't be found, the family were instead visited by two members of the Scientology church, who, in Brad's eyes, were asking intensely personal and suspicious questions, such as what Amy's favourite snacks were or her preferred brand of cigarettes. "They told us that they assist people who are grieving and suffering loss through various methods," Brad claims. He has also recalled two women seen speaking to Amy prior to her disappearance and has appealed for information on them. "The night before Amy disappeared, 23 March, 1998, during the pool party before we went to the dance club, Amy was talking to two black women in matching uniforms off to the side for close to an hour," he wrote on X. "The uniforms were not Royal Caribbean uniforms. They had on navy blue knee length skirts and lighter blue, button-up oxford shirts. Remember that. "My parents walked over to them to let Amy know they were going to bed. When they walked up, the two ladies, who had appeared very friendly during their conversation with Amy, did not speak or introduce themselves when my parents came over. We do not know who these women were. The FBI says they are aware of who they are, but would never share any information regarding them with us." He added, "Over the next couple weeks after returning home to Virginia, I did a lot of research about Scientology, the Freewinds [a ship owned by a Church of Scientology-affiliated company], Sea Org, etc. and found that the uniforms of some of the staff on the Freewinds MATCHED what the two black ladies that Amy was talking to the night before were wearing. I believe it is possible that those ladies boarded our ship with the group of performers and a large entourage of people that boarded the ship in Aruba that night. "I believe it is possible that they were Sea Org recruiters that coerced/convinced Amy to meet them in the morning for a tour of the Freewinds. I believe it is possible that she agreed, she went, and then was not able to get back off of their ship." He later, however, rolled back on this theory, claiming he'd spoken with former members of Scientology who were on Freewinds at the time and who "explained to me that they think the possibility of Amy being taken onto the Freewinds, by any measure, would be extremely unlikely". "They all, however, say it is really weird that those two guys came to our room in the Otrabonda hotel that night," Brad noted. "They explained their methods and all felt that the methods I described sounded in line with what they do in those situations where they are counselling people with grief and loss and may have well been just trying to help us, however weird the situation may have been." He added, "Now, I think I have been satisfied enough that the chance that Amy was taken onto that ship and/or into Scientology is close enough to zero to put it to bed." Brad and the family are still urgently calling for any members of the public who have any information to get in touch via amybradleyismissing@ They have also started a GoFundMe in a bid to finance their continued search for Amy.
IOL News
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Unsolved at sea: ‘Amy Bradley Is Missing' revisits one of the most puzzling cruise disappearances
'Amy Bradley is Missing' tells the story of the 23-year-old who vanished from a cruise ship while on holiday with her family. Image: X What was meant to be a fun-filled family vacation turned into a nightmare for a family who, almost three decades later, are still frantically searching for their beloved daughter. It all started in 1998 when 23-year-old Amy Lynn Bradley went on a cruise to the Caribbean island of Curaçao aboard the Rhapsody of the Seas with her family. The American youngster, who recently graduated from college at the time and was accompanied by her parents, Ron and Iva Bradley, and her younger brother, Brad Bradley, spent the first few days enjoying the festivities. They had feasts, made incredible memories as they partied it up. But two nights into the trip, just as they were about to disembark onto the island, Amy vanished into thin air. According to loved ones and passengers, she was last seen in the early hours of March 21, 1998, dancing at the ship's nightclub. Amy then returned to the room she shared with her family and spent some time chatting with her brother on the balcony of her cabin. Brad then decided to go to bed, leaving Amy alone outside, and by the time her father went to check on her, she had vanished, leaving no trace but a polo shirt and a pair of sandals. Every nook and cranny of the 10-floor cruise line, which was one of the biggest during the late 90s, was allegedly searched, but still, Amy could not be located. Despite an FBI investigation and her family's exhaustive efforts, which continue 27 years later, Amy has never been found. Her chilling disappearance forms part of the riveting new documentary called 'Amy Bradley Is Missing.' The three-part Netflix show, directed and executive produced by Ari Mark and Phil Lott, revisits this harrowing ordeal and the decades-long investigative effort it sparked. It also explores the various leads and purported sightings over the years that have troubled her family's ongoing quest for answers. What I found fascinating about this series was how it provided informative and educational insights on this poignant case in a way which kept me intrigued to find out more. I started watching it with no knowledge of Amy or her disappearance, but after I was done binge-watching the documentary, it sparked such a curiosity within me that I am now reading up on the matter. It is also impressive how the film-makers managed to compress such a large amount of information into just a few easy-to-watch episodes. This must have been a challenging ordeal, considering that the incident took place almost 30 years ago. Accessing this information, as well as finding experts who can vividly recall the matter and help to place it back in the spotlight in a refreshed bid to find Amy, is an admirable but strenuous task. And those who were interviewed on 'Amy Bradley Is Missing', including eyewitnesses who were aboard the cruise ship as well as FBI investigators, did a stellar job on shedding light on an incident which took place such a long time ago. The testimony from cruise director Kirk Detweiler was particularly insightful as he vividly recalled the events during that time and brought them to life in a vibrant yet eerie manner. The interviews from cruise safety officials were also notable, as they raised questions about how passengers travelling through international waters are subject to the law of whichever country they are passing through. Even more startling was how they delved into cruise lines' often unverified hiring practices, which means that those onboard a ship could be in the company of questionable characters. 'Amy Bradley Is Missing' also presents all evidence to viewers, allowing them to draw their own conclusions. Some version of events which were unpacked included if she committed suicide by jumping off the boat. But many of the series argued that she was a confident and happy person who was about to start a new chapter in her life. In addition, another potential incidence of apparent foul play was also explored. Amy Bradley's mother Iva Bradley is featured on the documentary. Image: X However, the most powerful aspect of the documentary was the testimony from Amy's parents and her brother. The close-knit group detailed how they have continued their search for Amy, ever since that fateful morning she vanished. They reflected on the heartbreak of losing her and how, after all these decades, they are still emotionally torn about the incident which caused them so much trauma that they were unable to eat or sleep. Their heartfelt pleas for any information which could locate Amy's whereabouts left a lasting impression on me, and their unwavering quest to find her remains as strong as it was when she first disappeared. I rate this 3 out of 5 stars.
Daily Record
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Netflix's Amy Bradley is Missing and the heartbreaking reason the FBI couldn't act on sex worker photo
The FBI were unable to investigate the 'photo of Amy Bradley' found on a sex worker website despite its striking resemblance to her and her family's desperate plea for action Netflix's latest true-crime documentary Amy Bradley is Missing has been a massive hit with viewers since its release on July 16, quickly rising to second place in the UK's top TV show charts on the streaming platform. The three-part docu-series explores the chilling and unresolved disappearance of 23-year-old Amy Bradley, who vanished while on a Caribbean cruise with her family in 1998. Amy was traveling on board a Royal Caribbean cruise ship with her parents, Ron and Iva and her brother, Brad, when she went missing en route to Curaçao. She was last seen in the early hours of March 23 1998, resting on the balcony of the family's cabin. When her dad checked on her shortly after sunrise, she was gone - and has never been found. Now, 27 years later, Netflix revisits the mysterious circumstances surrounding her disappearance and the persistent efforts by her family to uncover the truth. The documentary summarises all the major theories that have emerged over the decades, including the most haunting one: that Amy was abducted and trafficked. One of the most significant revelations in the docuseries centres around a photograph discovered in 2005 on a sex worker's website thought to be based out of the Caribbean. The image bears a striking resemblance to Amy, so much so that her family took the discovery public and appeared on the Dr. Phil show in a desperate bid to find their daughter. "All I could keep thinking is, 'Is that my daughter?'" Amy's mother Iva says in the documentary. "We all looked at it - the nose, the chin, and the hair - it took my breath away." The FBI took then took the lead on analysing the image. An agent close to the case was interviewed in the series, and confirmed that forensic analysts had determined that it could very well be Amy. Investigators examined everything from the woman's pose, which was a specific stance that would have hidden all of Amy's identifiable tattoos - like a Gecko lizard on her navel, or sun on her lower back - to the bed frame in the image in an effort to track its origin. Speaking about the photo found on the sex worker site, co-director of the docuseries, Ari Mark told The Hollywood Reporter: "That part really made us scratch our heads, too." He went on to add that it is 'hard to ignore is how seriously the FBI took that photo.' Mark adds: "They really did chase that down. They analysed the bed frame, tried to figure out where it was made. They sent an operative down there to actually scope it out. And they did look into that website, and they brought in that trafficking expert - it's hard to ignore." However, despite the extensive investigation, authorities were unable to trace the photo's origins or determine where it was taken, as the website's IP address could not be located. The director went on to claim that "from the FBI standpoint, they've exhausted everything." In 2010, Amy was declared legally dead in absentia. Yet, her case remains open, and the FBI continues to maintain a missing persons page with age-progressed images of what Amy might look like today. The page also states that a $25,000 reward is offered for information leading to her discovery, with the FBI still looking for tips from the public.
Daily Record
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Netflix's Amy Bradley documentary is missing one major detail as brother breaks silence on show
Netflix documentary Amy Bradley is Missing follows the mysterious disappearance of the 23-year-old who vanished while on a cruise ship with her family but the show 'left out quite a lot of information' according to Amy's brother. Netflix's latest documentary Amy Bradley is Missing has been a huge hit with viewers since it's release on July 16 with the three part docuseries sitting in second place in the top UK TV show charts on the streaming platform. The show follows the story of 23-year-old Amy Bradley who disappeared while onboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship with her parents and brother in 1998. Her disappearance remains a complete mystery as a body has never been found in the 27 years she has been missing. Her brother, Brad has since broken his silence on the documentary that dropped on the streaming platform earlier this month. Brad, who was 21 when Amy disappeared, was the final person to see Amy in the flesh and have a conversation with her. In the hours before she vanished, the siblings had sat outside on their family cabin's balcony after a night of partying at the ship's nightclub. Amy had chosen to stay up on the balcony after Brad went to bed and she was never seen by her family again. Sharing his thoughts on the Netflix show, Brad said that his family 'supported' the documentary and praised the producers for doing an 'awesome' job. Amy's heartbroken parents, Ron and Iva Bradley, both starred in the documentary alongside Brad. A handful of Amy's childhood friends also appeared on the programme, sharing their memories of Amy and recounting the aftermath of her disappearance. Despite Brad's praise for the three part show, he did issue one complaint, stating that the documentary 'was not a complete account and left out quite a bit of information'. In a post on X, he wrote: 'Yes, we support it, but it was not a complete account and left out quite a bit of information. 'It would have required 10 seasons to tell it all, but we thought the producers did an awesome job overall and are happy with the response so far." In a follow-up post, he wrote 'For 27 years, my family has searched for Amy. We will not stop. 'The Netflix docuseries Amy Bradley is Missing is shining a light on her story and we need your help to follow leads and find answers.' He shared a Gofundme to 'raise funds to pursue credible leads, consult with experts, obtain legal support if needed, and travel wherever necessary to uncover the truth' behind Amy's whereabouts. Viewers discussing the show on Reddit believe they have worked out the major left out detail which Brad is referring to. A subreddit titled r/TrueCrimeDiscussion which discussed the documentary was filled with positive remarks. However, one popular comment on it read: 'I disagree about the doc being fantastic. A good documentary would look at all scenarios. These guys obviously had a favourite narrative to sell.' This led to another user chiming in: 'Yep and tons left out (like the PI scamming them- which points to the family looking desperate for any answer).' Someone else agreed: 'Yes! I couldn't believe they left such a big piece out!' These comments are referring to Frank Jones, a man who claimed to be a former U.S Navy Seal in an email to the Bradley family in 1999. He also lied that he had a team of ex-Navy Seals and ex-Army Rangers at his disposal who could help him locate Amy. It came after rumours that Amy had been trafficked to Curaçao by Columbian mercenaries. The family understandably jumped at the opportunity for someone to take a team to the Caribbean and search for her while the FBI were making little progress with her disappearance. Jones unfortunately turned out to be a fraud, collecting regular payments from the Bradley family and insisting that he needed more funds to surveil the island and keep tabs on her. He told the Bradley's he had men who had seen her regularly, even going as far to send a fake photograph to them, claiming he was set to carry out an 'operation' to save Amy and that they should await his call. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. One of Jones' guys who he had been paying to watch a random house in Curaçao overheard the phone call and informed the Bradley family, who had been waiting for a phone call to tell them that their daughter was alive and was coming home safe. Jones took over $24,444 of the Bradley's personal savings and $186,416 from a fund set up by a nonprofit called the Nation's Missing Children Organization. He was found guilty of mail fraud in 2002 and was sentenced to prison for five years with an order to repay the money. Amy's father Ron previously opened up about the scam, saying: 'If there's a chance — I mean, what else do you do? If it was your child, what would you do? So I guess we took a chance. And I guess we lost.'
Extra.ie
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Shocking true crime doc leaves Netflix viewers 'infuriated'
Netflix's latest bewildering true crime documentary premiered on Wednesday and viewers are already talking about it. 'Amy Bradley is Missing' explores the mystery of the disappearance of a young woman following a family cruise in the late 1990s. Amy was travelling with her parents and brother on the Rhapsody of the Seas in March 1998 on a journey to the Caribbean island of Curaçao. Amy Bradley was 23 when she vanished. Pic: Netflix However, after only a few short days on the water, Amy vanished following a night at the ship's nightclub and was never found. Extensive searches and an FBI investigation proved fruitless and now viewers can explore her final moments, new information and possible sightings in this three-part Netflix documentary. At the time, officials were led to believe that the 23-year-old likely either jumped or fell overboard upon returning to her cabin after the full search of the ship revealed nothing. Amy Bradley (right) and her father Ron. Pic: Netflix However, her body was never found and over the past nearly thirty years, multiple people have reported seeing Amy alive in Curaçao with another alleged sighting on the nearby island of Aruba. The documentary delves deeper into strange evidence that Amy could have been trafficked off the ship and potentially with the help of one of the boat's entertainment staff. Amy was last seen on the balcony of her family's cabin in the early hours of the morning and her loved ones have never given up hope that they could see her again. Amy Bradley (right) with her friend Sarah Luck. Pic: Netflix Despite only releasing on Netflix on Wednesday, viewers have already taken to social media to share their thoughts and theories on the case. One X user wrote: 'The cruise director takes every opportunity to be a callous pr*** and expects people to think he's not gonna put profit over the truth? You won't convince me he doesn't know what happened and helped cover it up.' Amy Bradley (left) and her brother Brad. Pic: Netflix Another added: 'Watched @netflix Amy Bradley is Missing, and I am infuriated by @FBI and how they failed Amy. How do you have 4 witnesses who saw Amy in a specific region and still do nothing waiting for Amy to knock on your office door!' A third remarked: 'Watching Amy Bradley is missing on @netflix. It's gripping.' Director and executive producer Ari Mark opened up about speaking to the Bradley family for the episodes, saying that most people in the series have not been interviewed but they have. 'Amy Bradley is Missing' explores the mystery of the disappearance of a young woman following a family cruise in the late 1990s. Pic: Netflix He told Netflix: 'It's one thing to talk about the void of Amy, and it's another thing to experience it. 'This is a family who really deeply believes in what they're saying, and what they're saying is, 'She's out there, we're going to find her, and we're ready.''
