John and Lorena Bobbitt
Encyclopedia
John Wayne Bobbitt and Lorena Bobbitt (née
Gallo) (born October 31, 1970 in Bucay, Ecuador) were an American couple, married on June 18, 1989, whose difficult relationship gained worldwide notoriety for an incident in 1993 when Lorena severed John's penis
with a knife. The penis was subsequently surgically re-attached.
, highly intoxicated after a night of partying. According to testimony given by Lorena Bobbitt in a 1994 court hearing, he then rape
d her. (In 1994 he was tried for and acquitted of spousal rape
, prosecuted by the same district attorney
who prosecuted Lorena for attacking her husband.) Afterwards, Lorena Bobbitt got out of bed and went to the kitchen for a drink of water. According to an article in the National Women's Studies Association Journal, while in the kitchen she noticed a carving knife on the counter and "memories of past domestic abuses raced through her head." Grabbing the knife, Lorena Bobbitt entered the bedroom where John was sleeping and proceeded to cut off nearly half of his penis
.
After assaulting her husband, Lorena left the apartment with the severed penis, drove a short while, then rolled down the car window and threw the penis into a field. Realizing the severity of the incident, she stopped and called 911
. After an exhaustive search, the penis was located, packed in ice, and taken to the hospital where John Bobbitt was being treated.
The penis was reattached by Drs. James T. Sehn and David Berman during a nine-and-a-half-hour operation.
, and had forced her to have an abortion
. Several witnesses provided testimony supporting her claims. Her defense attorneys maintained that John's constant abuse caused Lorena to eventually "snap" as she was suffering from clinical depression
and a possible bout of post traumatic stress disorder due to the abuse. However, when Lorena was arrested the night of June 23rd, she told the police, "He always have orgasm [sic], and he doesn't wait for me to have orgasm. He's selfish." John Bobbitt denied the allegations of abuse; however, when he was cross-examined
, his statements often conflicted with known facts, severely weakening the prosecution's case.
After seven hours of deliberation, the jury found Lorena not guilty due to insanity causing an irresistible impulse
to sexually wound her husband. As a result, she could not be held liable
for her actions. Under state law, the judge ordered Lorena 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, Lorena and John divorced.
In 1998 he appeared on the World Wrestling Federation
's Monday Night Raw
television program alongside the porn star character Val Venis
who at the time "almost" had his penis cut off by a fellow WWE contender. Not long after, he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada
, where he worked as a bartender, limousine driver, mover, and tow truck operator. He also had a stint serving at a wedding chapel as a minister of a Universal Life Church
in Las Vegas.
After the divorce, John continued to have run-ins with the law. He was reportedly arrested seven times for offenses ranging from assault to grand larceny
. In 1994, he was convicted of misdemeanor domestic battery
against his former fiancée, Kristina Elliott, and sentenced to 15 days in jail. In September 1999, he was sentenced to five years probation for his role in the theft of more than $140,000 in clothing from a store in Fallon, Nevada
, and ordered to pay $5,000 restitution
and serve 100 hours of community service
.
After two trials for domestic abuse against Joanna Ferrell, his third wife, in 2004 — one ending in conviction for John Bobbitt and the other in acquittal — he was arrested for a third offense in September 2005. Days after the third incident, he filed for a divorce. On February 8, 2006, a municipal judge found him not guilty because of insufficient evidence.
for punching her mother, Elvia Gallo, as they watched television. She was eventually found not guilty of assault and her mother continued to live with her. In 2007, she was working at a beauty salon in the Washington D.C. area.
In June 2008, Gallo 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. In a 2009 appearance on Oprah
, Gallo said that if she could take anything back she would never have married John Wayne Bobbitt. In 2007, she founded the organization Lorena's Red Wagon which helps to prevent domestic violence through family-oriented activities.
in April 2009 that she had no interest in talking to John, John and Lorena appeared together on the show The Insider
in May 2009. It was their first meeting since their divorce. On the show John apologized to Lorena for the way he treated her during their marriage, and Lorena claimed that John still loved her because he continued to send her Valentine's Day
cards and flowers.
. The case also brought attention to the issue of domestic violence
and the realization that men as well as women can be the victims of such violence. Within days of the incident, domestic violence and feminist groups rallied around Lorena, citing the continuous abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband that caused her to attack him, albeit in an unusual and violent manner.
Media attention surrounding the case resulted in national debate and also sparked a flurry of jokes, limericks
, T-shirt slogans
, advertising gimmicks
, and an urban legend
that Lorena had been later killed in a car accident because "some prick cut her off". In the film Fight Club
the character Tyler Durden comments that although the main character's house has been blown up, "it could be worse - a woman could cut off your penis and throw it out the window of a moving car", referencing the Bobbitt case.
Shortly after the incident, episodes of "Bobbittmania", or copycat crimes
, were reported. The name Lorena Bobbitt eventually became synonymous with penis removal. The terms "Bobbittised punishment" and "Bobbitt Procedure" gained social acceptance.
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Gallo) (born October 31, 1970 in Bucay, Ecuador) were an American couple, married on June 18, 1989, whose difficult relationship gained worldwide notoriety for an incident in 1993 when Lorena severed John's penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
with a knife. The penis was subsequently surgically re-attached.
Incident
During the night of June 23, 1993, John Wayne Bobbitt arrived at the couple's apartment in Manassas, VirginiaManassas, Virginia
The City of Manassas is an independent city surrounded by Prince William County and the independent city of Manassas Park in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Its population was 37,821 as of 2010. Manassas also surrounds the county seat for Prince William County but that county...
, highly intoxicated after a night of partying. According to testimony given by Lorena Bobbitt in a 1994 court hearing, he then rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d her. (In 1994 he was tried for and acquitted of spousal rape
Spousal rape
Marital rape, also known as spousal rape, is non-consensual sex in which the perpetrator is the victim's spouse. As such, it as a form of partner rape, of domestic violence, and of sexual abuse. Once widely condoned or ignored by law, spousal rape is now repudiated by international conventions and...
, prosecuted by the same district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
who prosecuted Lorena for attacking her husband.) Afterwards, Lorena Bobbitt got out of bed and went to the kitchen for a drink of water. According to an article in the National Women's Studies Association Journal, while in the kitchen she noticed a carving knife on the counter and "memories of past domestic abuses raced through her head." Grabbing the knife, Lorena Bobbitt entered the bedroom where John was sleeping and proceeded to cut off nearly half of his penis
Penis
The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...
.
After assaulting her husband, Lorena left the apartment with the severed penis, drove a short while, then rolled down the car window and threw the penis into a field. Realizing the severity of the incident, she stopped and called 911
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
. After an exhaustive search, the penis was located, packed in ice, and taken to the hospital where John Bobbitt was being treated.
The penis was reattached by Drs. James T. Sehn and David Berman during a nine-and-a-half-hour operation.
Arrest and trial
Lorena Bobbitt was taken into custody. During the trial, the couple revealed details of their volatile relationship and the events leading up to the assault. She stated that her husband sexually, physically, and emotionally abused her during their marriage. She added that her husband flaunted his infidelitiesInfidelity
In many intimate relationships in many cultures there is usually an express or implied expectation of exclusivity, especially in sexual matters. Infidelity most commonly refers to a breach of the expectation of sexual exclusivity.Infidelity can occur in relation to physical intimacy and/or...
, and had forced her to have an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
. Several witnesses provided testimony supporting her claims. Her defense attorneys maintained that John's constant abuse caused Lorena to eventually "snap" as she was suffering from clinical depression
Clinical depression
Major depressive disorder is a mental disorder characterized by an all-encompassing low mood accompanied by low self-esteem, and by loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities...
and a possible bout of post traumatic stress disorder due to the abuse. However, when Lorena was arrested the night of June 23rd, she told the police, "He always have orgasm [sic], and he doesn't wait for me to have orgasm. He's selfish." John Bobbitt denied the allegations of abuse; however, when he was cross-examined
Cross-examination
In law, cross-examination is the interrogation of a witness called by one's opponent. It is preceded by direct examination and may be followed by a redirect .- Variations by Jurisdiction :In...
, his statements often conflicted with known facts, severely weakening the prosecution's case.
After seven hours of deliberation, the jury found Lorena not guilty due to insanity causing an irresistible impulse
Irresistible impulse
In criminal law, irresistible impulse is a defense by excuse, in this case some sort of insanity, in which the defendant argues that they should not be held criminally liable for their actions that broke the law, because they could not control those actions....
to sexually wound her husband. As a result, she could not be held liable
Legal liability
Legal liability is the legal bound obligation to pay debts.* In law a person is said to be legally liable when they are financially and legally responsible for something. Legal liability concerns both civil law and criminal law. See Strict liability. Under English law, with the passing of the Theft...
for her actions. Under state law, the judge ordered Lorena 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, Lorena and John divorced.
John
After the incident, John Wayne Bobbitt attempted to generate money from his notoriety in a number of ways. He formed a band, The Severed Parts, to pay his mounting medical and legal bills, though the band was unsuccessful and failed to generate enough money. In 1994, John 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).In 1998 he appeared on the World Wrestling Federation
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. is an American publicly traded, privately controlled entertainment company dealing primarily in professional wrestling, with major revenue sources also coming from film, music, product licensing, and direct product sales...
's Monday Night Raw
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
television program alongside the porn star character Val Venis
Sean Morley
Sean Allen Morley is a Canadian professional wrestler better known by his ring name Val Venis, during his time with World Wrestling Federation, later known as World Wrestling Entertainment...
who at the time "almost" had his penis cut off by a fellow WWE contender. Not long after, he moved to Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, where he worked as a bartender, limousine driver, mover, and tow truck operator. He also had a stint serving at a wedding chapel as a minister of a Universal Life Church
Universal Life Church
The Universal Life Church is a religious organization that offers anyone semi-immediate ordination as a ULC minister free of charge. The organization states that anyone can become a minister immediately, without having to go through the pre-ordination process required by other religious faiths...
in Las Vegas.
After the divorce, John continued to have run-ins with the law. He was reportedly arrested seven times for offenses ranging from assault to grand larceny
Grand Larceny
Grand Larceny is a 1987 thriller film directed by Jeannot Szwarc and starring Marilu Henner, Ian McShane, Omar Sharif and Louis Jourdan.-Plot summary:...
. In 1994, he was convicted of misdemeanor domestic battery
Battery (crime)
Battery is a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact, distinct from assault which is the fear of such contact.In the United States, criminal battery, or simply battery, is the use of force against another, resulting in harmful or offensive contact...
against his former fiancée, Kristina Elliott, and sentenced to 15 days in jail. In September 1999, he was sentenced to five years probation for his role in the theft of more than $140,000 in clothing from a store in Fallon, Nevada
Fallon, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,536 people, 3,004 households, and 1,877 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,474.1 people per square mile . There were 3,336 housing units at an average density of 1,095.2 per square mile...
, and ordered to pay $5,000 restitution
Restitution
The law of restitution is the law of gains-based recovery. It is to be contrasted with the law of compensation, which is the law of loss-based recovery. Obligations to make restitution and obligations to pay compensation are each a type of legal response to events in the real world. When a court...
and serve 100 hours of community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
.
After two trials for domestic abuse against Joanna Ferrell, his third wife, in 2004 — one ending in conviction for John Bobbitt and the other in acquittal — he was arrested for a third offense in September 2005. Days after the third incident, he filed for a divorce. On February 8, 2006, a municipal judge found him not guilty because of insufficient evidence.
Lorena
After the trial, Lorena Bobbitt attempted to keep a low-profile and reverted to the use of her maiden name, Gallo. In December 1997, Gallo made news when she was charged with assaultAssault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
for punching her mother, Elvia Gallo, as they watched television. She was eventually found not guilty of assault and her mother continued to live with her. In 2007, she was working at a beauty salon in the Washington D.C. area.
In June 2008, Gallo appeared on the CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
program The Early Show
The Early Show
The Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...
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. In a 2009 appearance on Oprah
The Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, Gallo said that if she could take anything back she would never have married John Wayne Bobbitt. In 2007, she founded the organization Lorena's Red Wagon which helps to prevent domestic violence through family-oriented activities.
Joint public appearance
Although Lorena told Oprah WinfreyOprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
in April 2009 that she had no interest in talking to John, John and Lorena appeared together on the show The Insider
The Insider (TV series)
The Insider is an American tabloid television news program covering events and celebrities. It debuted on September 13, 2004 as a spinoff of Entertainment Tonight and started as a popular segment that took viewers "behind closed doors" and gave them "inside" information...
in May 2009. It was their first meeting since their divorce. On the show John apologized to Lorena for the way he treated her during their marriage, and Lorena claimed that John still loved her because he continued to send her Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day
Saint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
cards and flowers.
Cultural impact
The Bobbitt case was one of the first cases that brought public attention to the subject of marital rapeSpousal rape
Marital rape, also known as spousal rape, is non-consensual sex in which the perpetrator is the victim's spouse. As such, it as a form of partner rape, of domestic violence, and of sexual abuse. Once widely condoned or ignored by law, spousal rape is now repudiated by international conventions and...
. The case also brought attention to the issue of domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
and the realization that men as well as women can be the victims of such violence. Within days of the incident, domestic violence and feminist groups rallied around Lorena, citing the continuous abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband that caused her to attack him, albeit in an unusual and violent manner.
Media attention surrounding the case resulted in national debate and also sparked a flurry of jokes, limericks
Limerick (poetry)
A limerick is a kind of a witty, humorous, or nonsense poem, especially one in five-line or meter with a strict rhyme scheme , which is sometimes obscene with humorous intent. The form can be found in England as of the early years of the 18th century...
, T-shirt slogans
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
, advertising gimmicks
Gimmick
In marketing language, a gimmick is a unique or quirky special feature that makes something "stand out" from its contemporaries. However, the special feature is typically thought to be of little relevance or use. Thus, a gimmick is a special feature for the sake of having a special feature...
, and an urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
that Lorena had been later killed in a car accident because "some prick cut her off". In the film Fight Club
Fight Club (film)
Fight Club is a 1999 American film based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk. The film was directed by David Fincher and stars Edward Norton, Brad Pitt and Helena Bonham Carter. Norton plays the unnamed protagonist, an "everyman" who is discontented with his white-collar job...
the character Tyler Durden comments that although the main character's house has been blown up, "it could be worse - a woman could cut off your penis and throw it out the window of a moving car", referencing the Bobbitt case.
Shortly after the incident, episodes of "Bobbittmania", or copycat crimes
Copycat crimes
A copycat crime is a criminal act that is modelled or inspired by a previous crime that has been reported in the media or described in fiction.-Copycat effect:...
, were reported. The name Lorena Bobbitt eventually became synonymous with penis removal. The terms "Bobbittised punishment" and "Bobbitt Procedure" gained social acceptance.