\n\t\t\t
\n Related: <\/span>Karen Read Found Not Guilty of Second-Degree Murder After Retrial\u00a0<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\t\t\tA verdict has been reached in Karen Read\u2019s murder retrial. Read\u2019s second trial came to an end on Wednesday, June 18, after the jury found her not guilty of second-degree murder in the 2022 death of her then-boyfriend, John O\u2019Keefe. Read, 45, was also found not guilty of leaving the scene of an accident. The [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cThere [is] certainly some amount of pressure, but I also couldn\u2019t let myself go there because then it would put me in my head,\u201d Cassidy told Us <\/i>of stepping into Read\u2019s shoes. \u201cThere is a piece of me that goes into every character I play, of course, but I wanted to do [Karen] justice, and I think I did.\u201d<\/p>\n
Read was not involved in the production of Accused<\/i><\/a>, though Cassidy hopes that she will be pleased by the final cut.<\/p>\n\u201cI hope she is proud of it in a way,\u201d Cassidy said. \u201cI hope she is flattered by my portrayal of her.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the actress, she approached the role differently than how she usually prepares to embody TV and movie characters.<\/p>\n\n![\"Katie-Cassidy-in-Accused-Trailer.\"](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Katie-Cassidy-in-Accused-Trailer.png?w=1000&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>
\n Katie Cassidy in \u2018Accused.\u2019<\/span> Courtesy of Lifetime\/ YouTube<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cNormally I approach material, I\u2019ll read a script, do script analysis and build backstory, but in this case, because it\u2019s a real story, I didn\u2019t really,\u201d Cassidy explained. \u201cI had to flood myself with, like, as much research as I possibly could, and then just let it go and trust myself and throw myself into it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cassidy further praised Accused <\/i>director Linda-Lisa Hayter<\/strong>\u2019s support in bringing the movie to life.<\/p>\n\u201cOur director, Linda-Lisa Hayter, was fantastic. She was my rock while we were shooting,\u201d she said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t have done this without her. She was fantastic because \u2026 it was very intense and emotional.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Accused <\/i>highlights Read\u2019s story, Cassidy also hopes that the film serves as a tribute to the late O\u2019Keefe.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n![\"Karen](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Karen-Read-Wouldve-Cheered-for-OJ-Simpson-Verdict-While-Awaiting-Her-2nd-Trial-01-2025.jpg?w=400&h=225&crop=1&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n
\n\n\t\t\t
\n Related: <\/span>Karen Read Says She Would’ve ‘Cheered’ Over OJ Simpson Verdict<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n\t\t\tKaren Read, the Massachusetts woman accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O\u2019Keefe, is sharing new insights about her case going into her second trial. Read, 45, is accused of drunkenly killing O\u2019Keefe in January 2022. Prosecutors allege she hit him with her SUV and left him to die in the snow in [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u201cFrom what I learned, he was a really wonderful man and took over even his sister\u2019s children and was their parent because he lost his sister,\u201d Cassidy said. \u201cSo, you know, such a good person\u2019s life was lost here, and that\u2019s why I think it was important for us to acknowledge that and shine a light on that. I hope this pays a tribute to his life in a way, and that was really important to us and the producers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since wrapping Accused, <\/i>it admittedly took Cassidy a moment to separate herself from the character<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n![\"Karen-Read-GettyImages-2219723497\"](\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Karen-Read-GettyImages-2219723497.jpg?w=1000&quality=86&strip=all\")
<\/div>
\n Karen Read.<\/span> Suzanne Kreiter\/The Boston Globe via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cI feel like I\u2019m still in the process of decompressing from it all,\u201d she told Us. <\/i>\u201cIt takes some time, definitely, [and with] physically and mannerisms \u2026 it stuck with me longer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
\u201cI hope she is proud of it in a way,\u201d Cassidy said. \u201cI hope she is flattered by my portrayal of her.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to the actress, she approached the role differently than how she usually prepares to embody TV and movie characters.<\/p>\n \u201cNormally I approach material, I\u2019ll read a script, do script analysis and build backstory, but in this case, because it\u2019s a real story, I didn\u2019t really,\u201d Cassidy explained. \u201cI had to flood myself with, like, as much research as I possibly could, and then just let it go and trust myself and throw myself into it.\u201d<\/p>\n Cassidy further praised Accused <\/i>director Linda-Lisa Hayter<\/strong>\u2019s support in bringing the movie to life.<\/p>\n \u201cOur director, Linda-Lisa Hayter, was fantastic. She was my rock while we were shooting,\u201d she said. \u201cI couldn\u2019t have done this without her. She was fantastic because \u2026 it was very intense and emotional.\u201d<\/p>\n While Accused <\/i>highlights Read\u2019s story, Cassidy also hopes that the film serves as a tribute to the late O\u2019Keefe.<\/p>\n \t\t<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\tKaren Read, the Massachusetts woman accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston police officer John O\u2019Keefe, is sharing new insights about her case going into her second trial. Read, 45, is accused of drunkenly killing O\u2019Keefe in January 2022. Prosecutors allege she hit him with her SUV and left him to die in the snow in [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cFrom what I learned, he was a really wonderful man and took over even his sister\u2019s children and was their parent because he lost his sister,\u201d Cassidy said. \u201cSo, you know, such a good person\u2019s life was lost here, and that\u2019s why I think it was important for us to acknowledge that and shine a light on that. I hope this pays a tribute to his life in a way, and that was really important to us and the producers.\u201d<\/p>\n Since wrapping Accused, <\/i>it admittedly took Cassidy a moment to separate herself from the character<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like I\u2019m still in the process of decompressing from it all,\u201d she told Us. <\/i>\u201cIt takes some time, definitely, [and with] physically and mannerisms \u2026 it stuck with me longer.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>
\n Katie Cassidy in \u2018Accused.\u2019<\/span> Courtesy of Lifetime\/ YouTube<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\t
\n Related: <\/span>Karen Read Says She Would’ve ‘Cheered’ Over OJ Simpson Verdict<\/span><\/a>
\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>
\n Karen Read.<\/span> Suzanne Kreiter\/The Boston Globe via Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n