'A Toxic Love Story' Leslie Carlson Called Ian Diaz a 'Good Man' After Conviction

A central figure in Netflix's "A Toxic Love Story" told a federal judge Ian Diaz was still "a good man, with an even greater heart" after his conviction ... and revealed she had been barred from contacting him for nearly two years ... TMZ has learned.

In an April 2023 letter obtained by TMZ, Leslie Carlson said bond restrictions cut her off from Ian, his son and his immediate family, calling the separation "devastatingly difficult." The letter was filed with his sentencing materials.

Leslie said she had known Ian for 23 years and considered him one of her closest friends and confidants.

She also detailed several times Ian dropped everything to help her, including driving her to the hospital twice, attending follow-up appointments and traveling 45 minutes to pick her up after a car crash.

Leslie said Ian stayed with her after the wreck until she felt calm enough to sleep, describing him as someone who made the people around him feel safe and supported.

Her letter shows her defense of Ian extended well beyond the Netflix doc, "A Toxic Love Story," where she is one of his most prominent supporters while recounting the bizarre Orange County, CA, cyberstalking plot involving Ian, his former wife Angela Connell Diaz, and ex-girlfriend Michelle Hadley.

As we reported, Ian’s wife, Amy, also submitted a letter asking the judge for leniency, warning a lengthy sentence would devastate their then-5-year-old son, and could leave her struggling to pay the mortgage and keep him in private school.