Doc About Boyfriend’s Tragic Death Gets Green Light, Thanks To Designing Women Creator

We get all choked up every time we watch “It Could Happen to You, Shane Britney Crone’s video diary, above, where he talks about the loss of his partner, Tom Bridegroom. And apparently the 3 million-plus viewers who have watched the clip since it went up in May do to.

As horrific as it is to lose a partner in life, we can only imagine how much harder it is to endure when family—and society—denies the truth of your love, as Bridegroom’s parent’s did. But the Web can be a wonderful thing: After Crone posted the video, Designing Women director Linda Bloodworth Thomason got involved in a Kickstarter campaign to help turn the story into a documentary. It’s surpassed its goal, with a healthy $384,376 total, and now Bridegroom: An American Love Story is a go.

Said Thomason:

“Please know that this film will represent anyone who has ever been judged, condemned or ostracized for being who they are and loving who they love. We believe everyone deserves equal rights and Bridegroom will seek to play a pivotal role in bringing these rights to not only all Americans, but to people all over the world.

We will start production immediately, doing interviews, as well as traveling to Shane’s and Tom’s respective home states of Montana and Indiana. And we will do whatever we can to insure that Bridegroom premieres this fall, in mid to late October.”