Tabloid

Tabloid recounts the sensational story of Joyce McKinney, a former Miss Wyoming beauty queen who became the center of a tabloid frenzy in 1970s Britain. Directed by Errol Morris, it focuses on the infamous “Case of the Manacled Mormon,” in which McKinney was accused of kidnapping and imprisoning Kirk Anderson, a young Mormon missionary.

The film presents McKinney’s version of events, alongside interviews with journalists and other key figures involved in the case. According to McKinney, she fell in love with Anderson and followed him to England to rescue him from what she perceived as Mormon brainwashing. She claims their encounter was consensual, involving a romantic getaway to a secluded cottage. However, Anderson’s account differs dramatically, alleging he was abducted at gunpoint and chained to a bed.

The documentary chronicles how this bizarre incident sparked a fierce competition between British tabloids, particularly the Daily Express and the Daily Mirror. While the Express initially supported McKinney’s narrative, the Mirror unearthed scandalous photographs allegedly showing her past involvement in escort services and nude modeling in Los Angeles.

Morris’s film also touches on McKinney’s later years, including her return to the tabloid spotlight in the 1980s when she was arrested for stalking Anderson in Utah. Throughout the documentary, McKinney maintains her innocence and presents herself as an ordinary American girl caught up in extraordinary circumstances.