Lorena Bobbitt looks to reclaim narrative in new documentary
What do we really know about Lorena Bobbitt? Twenty-five years after the trials of Lorena and her ex-husband John Wayne Bobbitt captivated the world, the woman who cut off her husband’s penis remains infamous for that act – and for all the jokes that came after.
But Amazon’s new Jordan Peele-produced documentary “Lorena” seeks to reclaim the narrative and illuminate an episode of modern American history that has long been boiled down to a punchline.
The series, which spans four hourlong episodes, began streaming on Amazon Friday. It successfully focuses the story away from the penis-cutting and toward the deeper tale of domestic violence and sexism.
It is equal parts informative and evocative, finding deeper layers in a saga many think they know all about.
Read on for the biggest points and most noteworthy moments.
A refresher course
For many from younger generations, or older folks who don’t remember or didn’t pay attention in the early 1990s, the documentary is educational.
Even though it often focuses on facts from the case that were publicly available at the time, many of them, especially about the domestic abuse Lorena Bobbitt endured, weren’t highlighted in the press.
One of the most powerful aspects of “Lorena” is the trial footage, including Lorena Bobbitt’s testimony. Long stretches of her describing rape and abuse are included as she sobs on the stand.
The documentary also shows the multiple witnesses testified about the abuse she suffered from her husband, including evidence of injuries and of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Her fear of deportation if she left him (she was born in Ecuador and immigrated to the U.S. as a young adult) is a prominent part of the documentary.
In current and past footage, she expresses her strong belief in the American dream, and that portrait is vastly different from the sometimes racist media depictions of her as a “fiery Latina.”
She recalls that at one point in her case, she rejected a plea deal because a conviction would have ended her dream of becoming an American citizen.
Media coverage was relentless
More than anything, the documentary is an indictment of a media and culture that squeezed every ounce of tabloid drama from the incident, yet ignored the domestic violence at the root of the case.
In interviews, the way Lorena Bobbitt was hounded by reporters and media personalities comes into stark relief.
Geraldo Rivera, she says, sent her signed photos to try to woo her for an interview, and his camera crew tried to film her inside her home during the trial. During the 45 days Lorena Bobbitt spent in a Virginia state mental hospital, Barbara Walters pursued an interview, but she turned it down.
Speaking about her relationship with the media now, she says she sees it as a “double-edged sword”: It can be a circus but also a way to raise awareness of domestic violence. Both aspects are seen in a clip of her as a guest on “The Steve Harvey Show” where she makes eloquent statements about domestic violence, bringing the studio audience to its feet amid the host’s jokes about waking up next to a severed penis.
But the filmmakers are less optimistic about changing our scandal-hungry culture.
Near the end of the docuseries, one of the talking heads theorizes that, had the case happened today, Fox News probably would have stepped into the role of stalwart John Bobbitt defender and radio provocateur Howard Stern.
Her husband has tried to contact her
Near the end of the series, Lorena Bobbitt (now Lorena Gallo) reads a series of letters John Wayne Bobbitt sent her after the trials. The film also shows Facebook messages and other forms of communication that appear to be from him sent over the past decade. He says that he should have been a better husband and that Lorena was the best woman he has ever been with.
In one message, he mentions how much money the pair could make if they reconciled and suggests they could have a child that would generate interest from paying media.
In his interview, he claims that it was Lorena who first reached out, inquiring how much money he had.