John and Lorena Bobbitt

John Wayne Bobbitt (born 1967) and Lorena Bobbitt (née Gallo; born 1969)[1] were an American couple married on June 18, 1989, whose relationship made worldwide headlines in 1993 when, after claims of years of rape, abuse, and sodomy by her husband, Lorena cut off his penis with a knife while he was asleep in bed. The penis was subsequently surgically reattached. John Wayne Bobbitt was acquitted on the rape charge.

John Bobbitt

Attack

The incident in which Lorena Bobbitt severed her husband John Wayne Bobbitt's penis occurred June 23, 1993, in Manassas, Virginia. Lorena Bobbitt stated in a court hearing that, after coming home that evening, her husband raped her. After he then went to sleep, she got out of bed and went to the kitchen for a drink of water. She then grabbed an 8-inch carving knife on the kitchen counter, returned to their bedroom, pulled back the bed sheets and cut off his penis.[2]

After this, Lorena left the apartment with the severed appendage and drove away in her car. After a while driving and struggling to steer with one hand, she threw it out the window into a roadside field. She eventually stopped and called 9-1-1, telling them what had happened and where the penis could be found. John Bobbitt's penis was found after an exhaustive search, and after being washed with antiseptic and packed in saline ice, it was re-attached in the hospital where he was treated. The operation took nine and a half hours.[3] John went on to star in two pornographic films in the 1990s,[4] and states that his penis is "back to normal".[5]

Arrest and trial

When Lorena Bobbitt was arrested the night of June 23, she told the police, "He always have orgasm [sic], and he doesn't wait for me ever to have orgasm. He's selfish."[6] This conversation with Detective Peter Wentz was tape-recorded, and the transcript was read later in the trial by Mary Grace O'Brien, the Prince William County Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney prosecuting Lorena.[7]

During the trial, the couple revealed details of their volatile relationship and the events that led to the assault. Lorena stated that John sexually, physically, and emotionally abused her during their marriage. She said that he flaunted his infidelities and forced her to have an abortion. Her defense attorneys, who included the defense lawyer Blair D. Howard, maintained that his constant abuse eventually caused her to "snap" because she was suffering from clinical depression and a possible bout of post traumatic stress disorder due to the abuse.[2] John denied the allegations of abuse; however, when he was cross-examined by Howard, his statements often conflicted with known facts, severely weakening the prosecution's case.[2]

Lorena testified that John had raped her and physically battered her on multiple occasions prior to the evening of the severing of his penis, that they lacked financial stability, and that he stole her earnings and spent the proceeds. Both the prosecution and defense sides conceded that he had demonstrated a history of abuse toward her and that this abuse created a context for the assault. Expert witnesses for both the prosecution and the defense testified that "he had mentally and physically battered her; that the abuse was escalating; and that, by 1993, she lived in constant fear of him."[8] The defense strategy emphasized her action as being a mix of self-defense and temporary insanity constituting an "irresistible impulse" due to the history and pattern of abuse and rape. One expert witness testified that "Lorena believed and was immobilized by John's threat, 'I will find you, whether we're divorced or separated. And wherever I find you, I'll have sex with you whenever I want to.'"[9]

John Bobbitt was later acquitted of rape.[10] He had multiple versions of what had happened that evening in question, relating at various times to police and to the court that "they had not had sex; that Lorena had tried to initiate sex, but he had been too tired; that they had had sex, but he had slept through it; and that the sex had been consensual."[11]

After seven hours of deliberation, the jury found Lorena not guilty due to insanity causing an irresistible impulse to sexually wound John. As a result, she could not be held liable for her actions.[12] Under state law, the judge ordered her to undergo a 45-day evaluation period at Central State Hospital, located in Petersburg, Virginia, after which she would be released. In 1995, after six years of marriage, John and Lorena finalized their divorce. [13]

Aftermath

John

After the incident, John attempted to generate money from his renown by forming a band, The Severed Parts, to pay his mounting medical and legal bills, although the band was unsuccessful and failed to generate enough money. In September 1994, he appeared in the adult film John Wayne Bobbitt: Uncut, in another attempt to make money. In 1996, he appeared in another adult film, Frankenpenis (also known as John Wayne Bobbitt's Frankenpenis).[14]

In 1994, he was charged with striking Kristina Elliott, a 21-year-old former exotic dancer he met while in Las Vegas on a publicity tour. On August 31, 1994, he was convicted of battery and sentenced to 15 days in jail (75% of the original 60-day sentence was suspended). "I firmly believe you have an attitude problem," Justice of the Peace William Jansen told Bobbitt. "Your attitude problem is caused by your drinking."[15]

On August 10, 1998,[16] he appeared on the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE)'s Monday Night Raw is War television program, where he was featured with Val Venis.[17][18] Not long after, he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, where he worked as a bartender, limo driver, mover, pizza delivery driver, and tow-truck operator. He also had a stint serving at a wedding chapel as a minister of a Universal Life Church there.[2][19]

In 1999, Bobbitt received probation for his role in a theft at a store in Nevada. In 2003, he was sentenced to prison for violating his probation for the 1999 theft, after he was arrested on battery charges involving his then-wife, Joanna Ferrell. He was again twice arrested on charges of battery against Ferrell in 2004, and that same year, he filed for divorce under the name John W. Ferrell, which he had been using during his marriage with Ferrell.[20]

In 2014, he was severely injured when he broke his neck in a vehicular accident in Buffalo, New York.[21]In December 2020 Bobbitt has two toes of his right foot amputated due to callus formation and subsequent fracture. He was discharged from the hospital and is in the process of recovery.[22]

Lorena

After the trial, Lorena attempted to keep a low profile and reverted to the use of her birth name, Gallo. In October 1996, she made a visit to her native Ecuador, where she met with then president Abdalá Bucaram for an official dinner. Some time later the two would baptize a child as a godmother and a godfather.[23] Bucaram was criticized for inviting Lorena to the dinner.[24]

In December 1997, she made news when she was charged with assault for punching her mother, Elvia Gallo, as they watched television.[25] She was eventually acquitted of assault, and her mother continued to live with her. In 2007, she was working at a beauty salon in Washington, D.C.[26] and in the same year founded Lorena's Red Wagon organization, which helps prevent domestic violence through family-oriented activities.[27]

In June 2008, she appeared on the CBS News program The Early Show, where she talked about her life since the incident. In the interview, she said that she was in a long-term relationship with Dave Bellinger and that they had a two-and-a-half-year-old daughter.[28]

Joint public appearance

Although Lorena told Oprah Winfrey in April 2009 that she had no interest in talking to John,[27] they appeared together on the show The Insider in May 2009. It was their first meeting since their divorce.[29] On the show, he apologized to her for the way he treated her during their marriage. Lorena claimed that he still loved her because he continued to send her Valentine's Day cards and flowers.[30]

The Bobbitt case brought attention to the issue of domestic violence and marital rape. Within days of the incident, anti-domestic violence advocates and some feminist groups rallied around Lorena, citing the alleged continuous abuse she suffered at the hands of John that caused her to attack him, albeit in an unusual and violent manner.[31]

Media attention surrounding the case resulted in national debate and also sparked a flurry of jokes, limericks, T-shirt slogans, advertising gimmicks, as well as Howard Stern having John Bobbitt as a guest on his 1993 New Year's Eve special and fundraising $250,000 to defray the outstanding costs of his surgery. MCI had also unknowingly been drawn into the fray by running a TV commercial a couple of weeks after the incident, advertising how the Bobbitts—a family from Siasconset, Massachusetts, of no relation to John and Lorena Bobbitt—saved by switching to MCI, causing jokes to be made of "when they cut off your service, they mean it".[32] "Weird Al" Yankovic's song "Headline News", a parody of the Crash Test Dummies hit "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm", mentions the incident.[33]

Shortly after the incident, episodes of "Bobbittmania", or copycat crimes, were reported, although the incidents were generally self-inflicted wounds, or accidents.[34] The names of John and Lorena Bobbitt eventually became synonymous with penis removal. The terms "Bobbittized punishment" and "Bobbitt Procedure" gained social recognition.[35] The Bobbitt worm, which attacks its prey with scissor-like jaws, is named after the case.[36]

In the 1999 film Fight Club, Tyler Durden references the case when comforting the Narrator, saying "It could be worse, a woman could cut off your penis while you're sleeping and toss it out the window of a moving car."

In 2019, Family Guy referenced the incident in the episode "Peter and Lois' Wedding" where Peter and Lois meet in the 90s, in the beginning Peter states "it was the decade of Viagra but also the decade of Lorena Bobbit, so it was a yay-boo period for penises".

In February 2019, Amazon released Lorena, a four-part docu-series produced by Jordan Peele about the incident, which features interviews with both Lorena and John.[37]

On May 25, 2020, Lifetime aired I Was Lorena Bobbitt as part of its "Ripped from the Headlines" feature films. While Lorena Bobbitt serves as the onscreen narrator and executive producer, the film stars Dani Montalvo as Lorena Bobbitt and Luke Humphrey as John Bobbitt.[38]

See also

References
  1. "The moment John Bobbitt realized his wife had cut off his penis: 'It was a nightmare'". ABC News.
  2. Bell, Rachael. "Crimes Below the Belt: Penile Removal and Castration (Chapter 2)". Crime Library. Archived from the original on October 5, 2007. Retrieved October 14, 2007.
  3. Achenbach, Joel (October 7, 1993). "A Stitch in Time:'My Wife Cut Me' John Bobbitt Said. For Two Doctors, It Was a Night To Remember". Retrieved December 14, 2009.
  4. Anolik, Lili (June 28, 2018). "The Lorena Bobbitt Case at 25: Why She's Moved on and John Wayne Hasn't". Vanity Fair. New York City: Conde Nast. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  5. "John Wayne Bobbitt Says His Penis Has 'Been Through the Wringer' In New ABC Special". toofab.com. Retrieved December 22, 2018.
  6. Smolowe, Jill; Peterzell, Jay (November 22, 1993). "TIME Magazine-Swift Sword of Justice". Time. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  7. Wife cannot recall cutting off man's penis in January 14, 1994 New Straits Times
  8. Pershing, Linda (2011). ""His Wife Seized His Prize and Cut It to Size": Folk and Popular Commentary on Lorena Bobbitt". In Catano, James V.; Novak, Daniel A. (eds.). Masculinity Lessons: Rethinking Men's and Women's Studies. p. 201.
  9. (Pershing, page 206)
  10. "The Spokesman-Review – Google News Archive Search". google.com. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  11. (Pershing, p. 186)
  12. Virginia Vs. Lorena Bobbitt, Court TV. Courttv.com. Retrieved on October 14, 2012. Archived January 4, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  13. Marisa M. Kashino (June 27, 2018). "The Definitive Oral History of the Bobbitt Case, 25 Years Later". Washingtonian. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  14. Joyce Chen (February 16, 2019). "Fine, We Can (Briefly) Talk About John Wayne Bobbitt's Porn Career". Refinery29. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  15. "Jail for John Bobbitt". The New York Times. September 1, 1994. Retrieved October 14, 2007.
  16. "Raw is War: August 10, 1998". The Other Arena. Archived from the original on October 26, 2006. Retrieved March 31, 2008.
  17. Reynolds, R.D. (2003). Wrestlecrap: The Very Worst of Pro Wrestling. Toronto, Ontario: ECW Press. pp. 222–223. ISBN 1-55022-584-7.
  18. "Wrestlecrap: The Val Venis Castration". wrestlecrap.com.
    later referenced in Past Inductions
  19. Bernard Ryan, Jr. "John Wayne and Lorena Bobbitt Trials: 1993 & 1994 – John Bobbitt's Troubles Continue". Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  20. "John Wayne Bobbitt faces new battery charges". USA Today. September 22, 2005. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
  21. Bucktin, Christopher (November 13, 2014). "John Wayne Bobbitt breaks neck in car smash after driver jumps red light". Mirror Online. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  22. "John Wayne Bobbitt Undergoes Toe Amputations". TMZ. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
  23. "Bobbitt Meets President". South Florida Sun Sentinel. October 18, 1996. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  24. "Ecuadoreans take to the street against 'The Crazy One'". CNN. February 6, 1997. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  25. "Bobbitt's Ex-Wife Charged in Assault". The New York Times. December 8, 1997. Retrieved October 14, 2007.
  26. Biography.com. "Lorena Bobbitt Biography". Archived from the original on July 30, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2007.
  27. "Lorena Bobbitt's Unforgettable Story". Oprah.com.
  28. "Lorena Bobbitt, 15 Years Later". CBS News. June 25, 2008. Retrieved July 28, 2008.
  29. "John & Lorena: The Shocking Bobbitt Reunion at The Insider". Archived from the original on July 14, 2009.
  30. "John Bobbitt still loves Lorena 16 years after she hacked off his penis". ANI. May 5, 2009. Archived from the original on February 19, 2010.
  31. "Battle of Sexes Joined in Case Of a Mutilation". The New York Times. November 8, 1993. Retrieved October 14, 2007.
  32. Newsweek January 2, 1994 "He, She and the Celebrity".
  33. "Headline News by Weird Al Yankovic". Songfacts.
  34. Gumbel, Andrew. "Bobbittmania takes a grip on psyche of Latin lover". Archived from the original on October 21, 2007. Retrieved October 14, 2007.
  35. Husain, M.; Rizvi, S.J.; Usmani, J.A. "A Critical Review of Post-phase Period of Lorena Bobbitt's Indictment". Archived from the original on March 14, 2007. Retrieved October 14, 2007.
  36. "Who Named the Bobbit Worm (Eunice sp.)? And WHAT species is it.. truly??". August 13, 2014.
  37. Blistein, Jon (January 8, 2019). "New Doc Tells Different Side of 1993 Lorena Bobbitt Scandal". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 3, 2019.
  38. Snierson, Dan (April 13, 2020). "I Was Lorena Bobbitt: See first photos from Lifetime movie". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
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