THE woman jailed for an elaborate cyberstalking hoax which is the focus of Netflix documentary A Toxic Love Story is now working as a counselor and claims she was wrongly convicted.
Angela Diaz, who now goes by Angi Connell — her maiden name — has moved to Arizona and built a new career.
Angela Diaz was sentenced to five years behind bars but was released in 2020 Credit: Maricopa County Sheriff's Office
Angela Connell was previously married to Ian Diaz, who is still incarcerated for his role in the stalking scheme Credit: Netflix
Michelle Hadley features in A Toxic Love Story which is streaming on Netflix Credit: © 2026 Netflix, Inc.
Ian Diaz and his ex-wife Angela seen in police body cam footage lying about being stalked Credit: © 2026 Netflix, Inc.
The U.S. Sun can confirm she is listed online as the Director of Peer Counseling at Exhale Pro-Voice, a nonprofit that trains people to provide support through text-based services.
She offers emotional support based on shared lived experience, rather than professional clinical training.
Connell previously volunteered with the organization before moving into a leadership role and is working toward a doctorate in psychology with the goal of becoming a licensed psychologist.
The business’s website lists her as a “bisexual Peruvian-American adoptee living on the ancestral lands of the Onk Akimel O’odham and Xalchidom Piipaash peoples.”
She first discovered Exhale Pro-Voice in 2016 while “searching for a reproductive justice organization grounded in intersectionality, following her own abortion experience.”
The site adds, “After spending time in prison, Angi pursued a Master’s degree in Psychology and Justice Studies, deepening her commitment to transformative justice.”
In an interview with VoyagePhoenix last year, Connell spoke about rebuilding her life.
She claimed she had been “wrongfully convicted” and said her time in prison shaped her desire to help others.
However, there has been no court ruling overturning her conviction, and her guilty plea remains part of the official record.
The U.S. Sun could not confirm an address for her through public records, but she lists herself in Arizona on a private Instagram profile.
Her new career marks a dramatic change from her situation that made national headlines — one prosecutors described as a calculated attempt to frame another woman.
The case began in 2016 when Michelle Hadley, a California woman who had previously been in a relationship with Ian Diaz, became the target of a sick harassment campaign.
Connell, who was married to Diaz at the time, was accused of creating fake online accounts, impersonated Hadley and sent threatening messages to herself in an effort to make it appear she was stalking and threatening the couple.
The case even involved a shocking “rape fantasy” plot, where Connell framed Hadley for messaging men on Craigslist’s now-defunct “Casual Encounters” section, inviting them to come to the home she shared with Diaz to carry out violent sexual fantasies.
The situation went as far Connell calling 911 to report that she had been attacked by a masked man.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office said Connell fabricated evidence and orchestrated the scheme in an attempt to frame Hadley and she was arrested in August 2016.
Connell pleaded guilty to multiple felony charges connected to the plot, including false imprisonment by fraud, falsely reporting a crime and stalking-related offenses.
She was sentenced to five years in prison and was released in July 2020 after serving around three years.
Since, Connell has largely stayed out of the spotlight and declined to participate in Netflix’s documentary about the case.
The bombshell series, which dropped this week, also features an interview with a former boyfriend, who revealed she lied about being pregnant with twins and having Stage 4 cancer.
A video shows her wearing a wig and being confronted by his friends and family, before she later confirmed on a phone call with police that she was never sick.
She also claimed to be a lawyer for a period, but was later exposed.
Connell spoke in-depth to VoyagePhoenix about her life behind bars.
“In 2016, I faced 23 to life charges for a crime I did not commit, and subsequently spent five years in a California prison,” she said.
She described the experience as “harrowing and tragic” and said it transformed her life.
She further explained that she completed her education in prison and insists she is more than just a felon.
Talking about her day-to-day life, she also said, “With three rescue dogs, my mornings are a crash course in patience, chaos, and unconditional love.
“My goal is to start the day tech-free — take a few deep breaths, set an intention, smile, soak up some sunshine, and hydrate like I mean it.”
Her former husband also faced federal prosecution for his role in the scheme.
Diaz, a former US Marshal, was convicted in 2023 on charges including cyberstalking, conspiracy, perjury and obstruction-related offenses linked to the plot against Hadley.
He was sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison and remains incarcerated.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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