Anger as Lorena Bobbitt, who mutilated her abusive husband, is turned into a... ‘#METOO MARTYR’
A NEW TV series about the infamous Lorena Bobbitt case is in danger of giving a “moral pardon” to the woman who mutilated her husband, a campaigner has said.
Lorena cut off husband John Wayne’s penis in 1993, and has always said she was a victim of horrendous domestic abuse.
Now, a four-part Amazon documentary series, entitled Lorena, will be screened next month, following its premiere next week at The Sundance Film Festival.
But campaigner on men’s issues Martin Daubney, former editor of Loaded magazine, said it was “horrendous” to potentially make her part of the current #MeToo movement.
Mr Daubney said that while it seemed clear it was an abusive relationship, the notorious incident was being revisited in the context of today’s gender politics.
The campaigner said: “Only in the post #Metoo world would a documentary maker ever dream of making Lorena Bobbitt a heroine. They are giving a very 2019 genderpolitical spin to a very sensational story, which makes it even more sensational.
“The kind of prism they’re viewing through is one of her innocence, the woman who suffered at the hands of a violent man who, quite frankly, they are saying, deserved it. I think that’s horrendous.”
Former US marine John Wayne, now 51, awoke in the middle of the night in 1993 to find Lorena cutting off his penis.
She fled the scene in Manassas, Virginia, throwing the remains from her car window, which would later be re-attached in a nine-hour operation.
In subsequent court cases, she claimed she attacked John because he came home drunk and raped her, while he insisted it was an act of vengeance because he was leaving her. Married for six years, Lorena said the relationship was riddled with instances of bullying and abuse.
Lorena was acquitted of criminal liability in the attack by reason of temporary insanity.
John Wayne was later charged with rape but was also acquitted.
She served 45 days in a mental institution and now runs a charity to address domestic violence.
In the years since the court cases, John Wayne became a porn star, married again twice, but was also arrested several times for assaulting women.
Amazon said he would also be interviewed in the new series to give his side of the story.
Mr Daubney cited the #ibelieveher cam- paign, which saw crowds protest in the street after the recent acquittal of two Irish rugby stars charged with rape, as he explained the dangers of the new show.
He added: “It’s well-known that during the case she brought against him, it was related to domestic violence and sexual abuse, and that he also had called 999 lots of times about her, so it’s clear that they had an abusive relationship.
“But what worries me is the #ibelieveher has effectively given her a moral pardon.
“You can bleed to death very easily if the penis is cut. I don’t understand why it wasn’t recorded as attempted murder at the time. Based on the trailer, you can see that they are lionising her.
“The danger about this is that abusive relationships are terrible but you can’t go around murdering people or cutting their penis off because you’re not happy about your relationship.
“They’re quite clearly making her a vanguard for feminist revenge against the patriarchy.”
Amazon said the series will “reveal the hidden truths in the notorious case of John Wayne and Lorena Bobbitt” and challenges the long-held narrative that surrounded the event.
In a recent interview about the documentary, John Wayne promised to “sue for unlawful intent” if Lorena does make new, potentially defamatory allegations about him.
In a separate show two weeks ago, he said: “There should be a #MeToo movement for men because the law is biased towards women.”
Lorena, Amazon Prime Video, available February 15.