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Lifetime Sets TV Movie for Rachel Jeffs Story: Here’s How to Watch ‘Surviving My Father’ Online

The TV film is based on the story of Rachel Jeffs, whose father Warren is the convicted polygamist leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

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October 3, 2025

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Lifetime Sets TV Movie for Rachel Jeffs Story: Here's How to Watch 'Surviving My Father' Online

Lifetime

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The controversial FLDS cult in Utah gets the Lifetime treatment this weekend with the network television premiere of Surviving My Father: The Rachel Jeffs Story.

The TV film is based on the story of Rachel Jeffs, whose father Warren Jeffs is the convicted polygamist leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. As the daughter of one of Warren Jeffs’ 80 wives, Rachel endured years of trauma and sexual abuse, and was married off at 18. She finally escaped the polygamist cult with her five children in tow during a secret nightfall operation in 2014.

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Want to watch Surviving My Father on TV? The film premieres this Saturday, October 4 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Lifetime. You can watch The Rachel Jeffs Story on TV with any cable package that includes Lifetime.

Don’t have cable? Get a live feed of Lifetime through streaming services like DirecTV and Philo, both of which offer Lifetime as part of their live TV packages. DirecTV and Philo let you watch Lifetime online without cable. Even better: both streamers offer free trials that you can use to livestream the Rachel Jeffs TV movie online for free.

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DirecTV and Philo let you stream the Rachel Jeffs Lifetime movie on your phone, tablet, computer or smart TV. Plans start at $49.99/month for DirecTV and $33 for Philo after your free trials are over.

Jeffs was a consultant on her Lifetime movie, which is actually based on her bestselling 2018 memoir, “Breaking Free: How I Escaped Polygamy, the FLDS Cult, and My Father, Warren Jeffs.” She also narrated the audiobook version of her memoir, which is available to stream for just $0.99 right now as part of a limited-time Audible deal.

Watch Surviving My Father: Rachel Jeffs Story Lifetime TV Movie Online

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The new made-for-TV film stars Canadian actress Kaitlyn Bernard as Rachel Jeffs, with Michael Eklund as Warren Jeffs.

Per a Lifetime description, Surviving My Father: The Rachel Jeffs Story is a “powerful story of resilience,” chronicling Jeff’s journey “from victim to victor, showcasing the triumph of the human spirit over seemingly insurmountable odds.”

“Subjected to her father’s manipulation and abuse, Rachel navigated a maze of twisted “purity tests” and psychological games. When she finally spoke out, she faced disbelief and further isolation,” reads the plot synonpsis. “Undeterred, Rachel orchestrated a daring escape from her heavily guarded confinement. In a display of extraordinary courage, she not only secured her own freedom but returned to rescue her children from the polygamous community she left behind. Her story illuminates the hidden world of polygamist cults while celebrating one woman’s determination to reclaim her identity and rewrite her destiny.”

Watch Surviving My Father: The Rachel Jeffs Story on Lifetime or livestream it through DirecTV and Philo. The TV movie also streams the next day on mylifetime.com.

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