Mother, family of Gabby Petito share their story on Dr. Phil

Reporter: Sydney Persing Writer: Matthew Seaver
Published: Updated:
Gabby Petito’s mother Nichole Schmidt during an interview with Dr. Phil. (Credit: Dr. Phil)

Gabby Petito’s dad and stepdad have handled most of the interviews about her death, but in a sit-down interview with Dr. Phil, we got a chance to know Nichole Schmidt, the woman Gabby Petito called “Mom.”

During the interview, Schmidt opened up about her pain, anger and her mother’s intuition.

With tears in her eyes, a blue ribbon on her chest and her daughter’s favorite tattoo on her arm, Gabby Petito’s mom tried to mask her pain as she remembered the moment she learned her daughter was gone; September 19th. “We knew it was Gabby. Even though we were hoping it wasn’t. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to listen to and it didn’t hit me right away for a few seconds but I knew she was gone, as a mom I knew she was gone.”

Schmidt told Dr. Phil that Gabby’s death was not news to her. She said she already knew thanks to mother’s intuition, “I didn’t want to admit it but I felt it the night I found out the van was in Florida, on the 11th. I felt in my heart… That she was gone.”

But Gabby’s mom held out hope until the end because a mother’s love never dies, even when her child does. Even when she’s furious, Schmidt said her mother’s intuition again is leading her to an answer. “I’m angry. I know who the last person was that was with her. I can’t point fingers until we know for sure.”

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