Queen of Meth to Air on Discovery +
Shining a bright crystal blue light on the life and crimes of Lori Arnold, Queen of Meth takes viewers on a deeply personal journey unveiling how one of America’s most infamous – and unexpected – drug lords turned addiction into an enterprise. The former drug maven takes viewers back to the scene of the crime in her hometown of Ottumwa, Iowa where for six years, she ran a sprawling multi-state meth empire and played a key role in the start of the Midwest’s methamphetamine epidemic. A major dealer, user, and even supplier, money poured in and good times rolled for Lori and those close to her, while their lifestyles helped revitalize the economically depressed factory town. At the height of Lori’s reign, she was producing between 10-20 pounds of meth in her lab and raking in at least $200,000 each week…until the darker side of addiction and dealing caught up with her.
In Queen of Meth, Lori confronts her past by visiting old haunts and rehashing memories with friends and family, including her famous brother, Tom Arnold. Lori and Tom’s vivid recollections of their formative years reveal hidden family secrets and trauma, poignantly piecing together how Lori’s disturbing childhood and wild adolescence led her down a drug-riddled path. More than a trip down memory lane, Queen of Meth showcases just how this highly successful and unlikely entrepreneur oversaw a multi-million-dollar meth empire, and how even within the ravages of addiction, she was able to flip poverty to prosperity.
Now, in an intimate and exclusive moment of reckoning, Lori reflects on how the highs of drugs, money and power had a grip on her and the hubris she had until the feds closed in on her. Grappling with a broken world she helped create and the stream of relationships shattered from her time at the top, the explosive three-hour docuseries Queen of Meth begins streaming on discovery+ this Friday, May 7.
Episode 1: Daughter of Anarchy
On a journey of self-discovery, Lori Arnold returns to her hometown to reconcile how her life circumstances led her down a path to become the “Queen of Meth” and relive a heyday when, for a brief moment – she had the world at her fingertips.
Episode 2: Art of the Dealer
Lori Arnold and her friends, relatives, and critics recall how a down-on-her-luck mom became the head of a multi-million-dollar meth empire in less than five years and how chasing the highs eventually led to addictions and arrests.
Episode 3: To Catch a Queen
Once seemingly invincible, Lori looks back on how she got busted and the toll it took on her family. She reunites with her sometimes estranged son to unpack old wounds and broken promises, while facing the destruction left in her wake.
