Julia Roberts Stars as Martha Mitchell, Who Vexed Nixon Over Watergate Scandal

Julia Roberts’ latest role may be surprising, but the story behind the film is even more shocking. She plays Martha Mitchell, a key figure in the Watergate scandal that led to President Richard Nixon’s resignation in 1974. Martha was married to Nixon’s attorney general, John Mitchell, who is played by an unrecognizable Sean Penn in the Starz movie “Gaslit.” When Martha came to know the truth of Watergate, she became a huge liability to Nixon, and was allegedly drugged and kidnapped by her bodyguards to keep her quiet.