Dhruv Trivedi
Hulu’s ‘Candy’ as well as HBO Max’s ‘Love & Death’ both delve into the story of Betty Gore’s murder and its surprising perpetrator. These shows are both set in 1980s suburban Texas and follow Candy Montgomery, who unexpectedly murders her friend Betty. The motives and finer details remain a mystery that is slowly uncovered, especially as Candy seems to have a lot of secrets, and at times, it feels like Betty’s husband, Alan, also has some secrets. There is an intriguing depiction of the complex dynamics at play in what appears to be a serene suburban town. Considering the real-life inspiration of these productions, let’s examine whether Allan Gore and Candy Montgomery actually had an affair or not, shall we?
Allan Gore and Candy Montgomery’s Affair Initiation
As depicted in the shows, Allan Gore and Candace “Candy” Montgomery really did have an affair. It all began during a church volleyball game in 1978 when they made a play for the same ball, though they’d met sometime prior – once the Gores had settled down in Collin County, Texas. Soon, a habit of light flirtation started between the two, which Candy decided to push further. At the time, Candy was married to Pat Montgomery and took care of their two children at home. Allan, on the other hand, resided with his wife Betty as well as their young daughter, only to subsequently welcome another baby girl into their lives.
In Jim Atkinson and John Bloom’s book ‘Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs,’ the authors claim that Candy revealed to a friend she had a very boring life with her husband. Allan and Betty, meanwhile, were in the process of conceiving, which seemingly dulled their romantic life, especially for the former. So, as per reports, Candy approached Allan sometime in late 1978 and revealed she was interested in having an affair with him.
Allan initially didn’t give this prospect too much thought since he didn’t even like the idea of infidelity, just to soon change his mind. What followed was weeks of them weighing the pros and cons of their affair, and most importantly, the risks of it all. The duo often spoke on the phone, usually while the former was at work. Neither wanted to get emotionally involved, ruin their respective marriages, or hurt anyone’s feelings. However, they also wanted to go ahead with the affair.
Therefore, before meeting to have their first encounter, Allan and Candy established a list of rules and logistical pointers. The whole affair was meticulously planned and included ground rules that included contingencies for either of them wanting to end it. It was also agreed that they would meet only on weekdays and that all expenses (food, motel room, etc.) would be split equally. The date for their affair to begin was set for December 12, 1978.
Candy and Allan initially met at the Continental Inn for their activities, which was on the freeway a short distance from Allan’s office. After a few encounters, however, the slightly cheaper Como Motel in Richardson was chosen, and they met every two or three weeks. This affair actually went on from December 1978 to October 1979. It was Candy who first began having doubts, followed by Allan. The former felt like she was getting too attached, whereas the latter felt he should focus on his marriage and kids.
Thus, following a few more secret meetups and discussions about ending the affair, Allan and Candy mutually decided to stop seeing each other. Both couples, Allan and Betty, and later, Candy and Pat, then attended Marriage Encounter to help smoothen their relationships from the very core. The truth is the duo had managed to remain amicable, so their former affair only came to light once Allan revealed it to detectives during Betty’s murder investigation the following year (1980).
Read More: Where is Candy Montgomery Now?
