The Dating App Killer movie cast is led by Lela Rochon as Monica White and Jarod Joseph as Anthony Robinson. Shyinne Anastacio, Princess Davis, Shanna Giannozio, Trezzo Mahoro, Katrina Reynolds, Spencer Graham and Spencer Driver complete the main credited ensemble.
The full title is The Dating App Killer: The Monica White Story. It is a scripted 2026 thriller based on White’s real experience of dating Robinson, the man later convicted of murdering Allene ‘Beth’ Redmon and Tonita Smith. The film is not a documentary, so performances, dialogue and scene construction should not automatically be treated as a literal record of events.
For more victim-centered Netflix true-crime coverage, read our guides to A Toxic Love Story’s true story, Unknown Number: The High School Catfish and The Idaho Murders: College Nightmare.
The Dating App Killer details at a glance
| Detail | Confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Full title | The Dating App Killer: The Monica White Story |
| Type | Scripted true-crime drama, not a documentary |
| Lead cast | Lela Rochon and Jarod Joseph |
| Director | Elisabeth Röhm |
| Current streaming home | Netflix |
| Original premiere | Lifetime, February 14, 2026 |
| Netflix runtime | 1 hour 27 minutes |
| Rating | TV-14 |
The Dating App Killer movie cast list
| Actor | Character | Role in the film |
|---|---|---|
| Lela Rochon | Monica White | A divorcee and preschool teacher who meets Anthony online |
| Jarod Joseph | Anthony Robinson | The man Monica dates and later suspects is hiding a violent past |
| Shyinne Anastacio | Beverley | Supporting character in Monica’s story |
| Princess Davis | Tonita | Dramatized portrayal connected to victim Tonita Smith |
| Shanna Giannozio | Beth | Dramatized portrayal connected to Allene ‘Beth’ Redmon |
| Trezzo Mahoro | Isaiah White | Character in Monica’s family storyline |
| Katrina Reynolds | Laila | Supporting character |
| Spencer Graham | Casey | Supporting character |
| Spencer Driver | Rayleigh | Supporting character |
Who plays whom in The Dating App Killer?
Lela Rochon as Monica White

Lela Rochon plays Monica White, the woman whose experience anchors the film. Monica is a divorced preschool teacher preparing for a new stage of life after her son leaves for military school. She meets Anthony through online dating and initially believes she has found a meaningful connection. His troubling behavior gradually changes the relationship from hopeful romance to a question of personal safety.
Rochon is best known for playing Robin Stokes in Waiting to Exhale, and her long career also includes Harlem Nights, Boomerang and Any Given Sunday. Her casting gives the film a lead who can communicate both Monica’s desire for companionship and the alertness that develops as the warning signs become harder to ignore.
Follow Lela Rochon on Instagram.
Jarod Joseph as Anthony Robinson

Jarod Joseph plays Anthony Robinson. The film presents Anthony first as an online romantic prospect and then as a source of growing danger. Because Robinson is a real convicted murderer, the performance should be understood as a dramatization rather than a complete psychological explanation of the man or his crimes.
Joseph is widely known as Nathan Miller in The 100 and has also appeared in Rogue, Mistresses and The Christmas Pact. His role here depends on contrast: Anthony needs enough initial charm to make Monica’s interest understandable while allowing increasingly disturbing behavior to break through.
Follow Jarod Joseph on Instagram.
Shyinne Anastacio as Beverley
Shyinne Anastacio plays Beverley. Netflix lists Beverley among the principal supporting characters but does not publish a detailed biography or identify every relationship in its official guide. Anastacio is known for Listen Out for Love. Until fuller credits or a scene guide are released, claims that give Beverley a more specific real-life identity should be treated as unconfirmed.
Princess Davis as Tonita
Princess Davis plays Tonita, a character connected to Tonita Smith, one of the two women Robinson was convicted of murdering. Netflix’s official background identifies Smith and Allene ‘Beth’ Redmon as women investigators said met Robinson through dating apps. Davis is known for Yellowjackets and several television films.
A useful cast guide should keep the victim’s identity visible rather than reducing her to a plot function. The movie may condense or dramatize events, but the real case involved a woman with a family and life beyond the crime.
Shanna Giannozio as Beth
Shanna Giannozio plays Beth, a dramatized character connected to Allene Elizabeth ‘Beth’ Redmon. Robinson was convicted of Redmon’s murder alongside Tonita Smith’s murder. Giannozio has appeared in Limetown. As with Tonita’s portrayal, viewers should separate the film’s selected scenes from the complete record of a real person’s life.
Trezzo Mahoro as Isaiah White
Trezzo Mahoro plays Isaiah White, part of Monica’s family storyline. The official synopsis begins after Monica’s son leaves home for military school, which creates the space for her to focus on herself and begin dating again. Mahoro is best known to Netflix audiences as Lucas in the To All the Boys film series.
Katrina Reynolds, Spencer Graham and Spencer Driver
Katrina Reynolds plays Laila, Spencer Graham plays Casey and Spencer Driver plays Rayleigh. Netflix confirms the names but does not provide extensive character descriptions. Reynolds is known for Family Law. Rather than assigning these supporting roles unverified real-life counterparts, it is more accurate to wait for an official scene or character breakdown.
Who directed The Dating App Killer?
Elisabeth Röhm directed the film. She is also an actor known for Law & Order and has directed other fact-based Lifetime dramas, including Husband, Father, Killer: The Alyssa Pladl Story. The Dating App Killer uses a survivor-centered point of view, following Monica’s choices and observations rather than treating the killer as the only figure who matters.
Is The Dating App Killer based on a true story?
Yes. The film is based on Monica White’s account of dating Anthony Robinson before his arrest. According to Netflix, White met Robinson online in 2020. They dated for several months, and she ended the relationship in early 2021 after behavior toward her and her family made her uncomfortable. Robinson was arrested later that year in connection with killings in Virginia.
The underlying case is real, but the film is still a drama. A scripted movie can combine conversations, compress time and shape events for clarity. Unless a source independently confirms a particular exchange or scene, viewers should not assume every moment happened exactly as shown.
The confirmed real-case timeline
| Date | Confirmed event | Why it matters to the film |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Monica White meets Anthony Robinson through online dating | The relationship is the film’s entry point |
| Early 2021 | White ends the relationship after disturbing behavior | Her decision becomes central to the survivor-focused story |
| November 2021 | Police find the bodies of Allene ‘Beth’ Redmon and Tonita Smith | The murder investigation exposes the scale of the danger |
| Late 2021 | Robinson is arrested | The dating story becomes connected to a wider criminal case |
| January 2025 | A jury convicts Robinson on six counts tied to Redmon and Smith | The film is based on a case that reached a criminal conviction |
| May 22, 2026 | A judge sentences Robinson to two life terms plus 10 years | The sentence provides the latest confirmed legal outcome |
Why was Anthony Robinson called the Shopping Cart Killer?
Authorities and news reports used the nickname because Robinson moved victims’ bodies in shopping carts. The label is widely associated with the case, but it can also shift attention away from the women who were killed. The film’s use of Monica’s name in the full title signals a different emphasis: her survival, judgment and perspective are the route through the story.
What did Anthony Robinson get convicted of?
A jury convicted Robinson on six counts connected to the deaths of Allene ‘Beth’ Redmon and Tonita Smith: two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of concealing a dead body. In May 2026, he received two life sentences plus 10 years. His defense said it planned to appeal, so any future article update should distinguish the standing conviction and sentence from later appellate proceedings.
Does the movie cover every suspected case?
No single television movie can provide a complete account of every investigation associated with Robinson. Police have publicly identified him as a suspect in additional deaths, but being named a suspect is not the same as being convicted in court. The clearest confirmed legal record concerns the murders of Redmon and Smith. The movie’s narrative focus is Monica White’s experience, not a comprehensive case-file documentary.
Is The Dating App Killer a documentary?
No. It is a scripted true-crime thriller with actors playing real and dramatized characters. Viewers looking for a documentary should not expect interviews, archival evidence or a complete legal chronology. The movie instead uses Monica’s point of view to dramatize how a seemingly ordinary online connection becomes frightening.
Where can you watch The Dating App Killer?
The Dating App Killer: The Monica White Story is streaming on Netflix. It originally premiered on Lifetime on February 14, 2026. Netflix lists a runtime of 1 hour 27 minutes and a TV-14 rating. Availability can vary by country, so the title may not appear in every regional catalog at the same time.
What viewers should know before watching
The film deals with dating-app deception, coercive behavior, murder and violence against women. It may be upsetting for viewers with personal experience of abuse or stalking. Its most useful takeaway is not that online dating itself is uniquely dangerous, but that discomfort, boundary violations and controlling statements deserve attention even when a relationship initially feels exciting.
The story should not be used as a substitute for safety or legal advice. Anyone facing immediate danger should contact local emergency services or a trusted support organization in their region.
Frequently Asked Questions
Lela Rochon plays Monica White, the survivor whose experience inspired the movie.
Jarod Joseph plays Anthony Robinson, the man later convicted of murdering Allene ‘Beth’ Redmon and Tonita Smith.
Yes. Monica White dated Robinson after meeting him online in 2020 and ended the relationship in early 2021.
It is a scripted drama based on a true story, not a documentary.
The film is streaming on Netflix. It first aired on Lifetime in February 2026.
Netflix lists the movie at 1 hour 27 minutes.
Yes. He was convicted on six counts tied to the murders of Redmon and Smith and sentenced in May 2026 to two life terms plus 10 years.
The subtitle identifies Monica as the narrative center and separates the film’s survivor-focused perspective from a broader documentary about every case linked to Robinson.