Episode 809: Lorena and John Wayne Bobbitt | Forensic Files

Hey weirdos. I'm Elena. >> I'm Ash. >> And this is Morbid. >> It is morbid. What's up, squirrel
friend? >> Nothing. We were just looking until we we had like a like a we were teaching
Ash, me and Aiden about some rock lore >> earlier. So, we just got through all that.
>> That was interesting. I learned a lot. Um, >> yeah, >> started with Rock of Love.
>> Yeah, I realized I've never seen Rock of Love. I've seen clips for sure >> and I said, "Ah, honey."
>> But now I want to watch >> sit you down, watch a bunch of women fight over Brett Michaels. That sounds
like an absolute nightmare, but I love reality television. And you love horror. >> And I love horror. So perfect.
>> Let's go. >> Absolutely iconic. >> Yeah. >> Um, do we have any bits? We do. >> You think? Oh, we do.
>> We do. We have a fun business. >> A fun bit. So, our game that we collabed with Hunter Killer to come out with, the
Salem Slicer, >> Slicer, >> the Salem Slicer is now available on our Sirius website.
>> Oh, yeah. Um, and on pod swag. So, anybody who is upset that doesn't live in the US or in Canada, you can get it,
I think, on um >> pod swag. And that's like international shipping. >> That's for you.
>> Brought to you, by you, for you, from you, and all about you is international
shipping. >> Exactly. >> Yeah. And podswag. >> And thanks for caring. >> Yeah. Thank you for wanting the game.
It's [ __ ] fun. So >> guys, really fun. And I we we did a special podcast episode for it for the
case in the game. >> Yeah. So when you get the game, you get an exclusive Morbid Pod episode
>> as part of like the solving of it. And it's it's so much fun. And I think the
what the world needs right now is a bunch of cool people sitting around a board game and solving a fictional
murder. >> I wish you set that up as like what the world needs now is people send a count.
We could go so far with that and just lose half our audience. >> Yeah, that's okay though. But ser like
let's let's >> But for real though, >> get wholesome with it. >> Yeah, come on. Get
>> wholesome with a fictional murder. >> Yeah, definitely. >> You know, let's get analog.
>> Analog. >> Sit sit in front of a board game. >> Can I ask you a question? >> Yeah.
>> What does that mean? Why do people say that? >> I know. It just makes me think of
clocks. >> I mean, sure. Yeah, there's an analog clock. Yeah, >> like a a wristwatch would be an analog
clock. Something like not digital >> that. Oh, so analog is just not digital. >> Hobbies are things that are like
knitting, crocheting, >> putting together a little miniature, like things that don't involve
technology. >> Vinyl. >> Vinyl. >> Vinyl. Yes. Vinyl is analog. Like things that don't invol
that don't involve like digital interference. >> Like being on the internet. >> Yeah. Like being on the internet.
>> Okay. That makes so much sense. You always say >> streaming things is is not an analog.
>> Screaming things. >> Streaming things. >> Screaming things. I was like, screaming
things actually feels kind of analog. >> No, the internet is not analog. >> I had a feeling that's what you meant,
but I just agree with you so often about going analog that I was like, you know what? I should know what
>> I love that you didn't know what it meant. I'm going to look up the actual definition for you just so it makes it
clearer. >> I like felt like I knew what it meant, but I was like, let's be totally sure.
Yeah, it's well it says a system device or signal that represents data using continuously variable physical quality
didn't tell me that first because I would have said shut up. I don't want to hear anything else.
>> Yeah, they Oh, so that this makes more sense. Analog devices use physical measurements like the sweep of a clock
hand. >> Yes. >> You know, physical measurements, the voltage of a copper wire, like things
you can measure that way. >> Okay. >> Um to like show you a value of something. >> Okay. I love it. So, but like people
will use like analog hobbies as like things that don't involve the internet. >> I like it. I like it. An analog life.
>> So, let's go analog. >> Yeah. >> Not completely cuz TV is not analog, right? >> That one's hard to
>> This is fun. >> Like VHS. That's >> Is it analog? >> VHS feels weird, >> right? It feels like it's a little bit
in the >> So if I'm not streaming then it's then it's >> because obviously like the way we use
analog now is a little different from the like exact definition of analog. >> Uh it's like aesthetic. You know what I
mean? Like people have changed that definition a little bit. >> Um is TV analog? Considered analog I
should say. >> Let's see. >> Cuz it's like physical media. >> Yeah. Yeah, I think like now it's not
considered analog because it's so connected to the internet and so yeah, >> I can never go fully analog cuz I love
Housewives, but >> yeah, there was an original analog TV that used like signals to
>> that's cool. So that that's a thing. >> So if I watch that way, then I'd be analog.
>> I don't know if they have housewives that way. >> Probably not. >> But anyway, yeah, I like I like some
analog things so I can get down with everybody chilling out. Yeah, >> if you drank every time we said analog,
um, sorry to your your liver. >> Say analog again. >> Analog. Okay. >> Okay. Anything else?
>> You. >> We're going on tour. >> Yeah. Not for Mormon. >> Not for Mormon. Sorry, everybody just
[ __ ] We're going on a little tour. >> Honey. Honey. We just did Radio City. I break. Uh we're going to um a few places
for um the Butcher Legacy and Ash is my conversation partner. >> Hi. Uh because I feel safe with her.
>> Oh, that's cute. I like that. >> So, it'll be fun. And we get to talk about the book and writing and then I
get to meet you and talk about the book and writing some more. And she's live signing at a lot of
>> I'm live signing. So, it I I know a few of them are sold out, but I think >> you can still get your tickets to some
of them. So, check out my socials if you need to find the the links for places. >> I feel like I was born to be a
conversation partner. >> Hell yeah. >> As a Gemini. >> Oh, yeah. >> And a girly who was told all the time
like like I got moved away from any anybody in class >> cuz you talk too much. >> Yeah. They'd move me away from my
friends and then they'd sit me next to somebody else and I'd be like, "Hey, what's up? What are you doing?" And they
start talking. You want to talk about everything? And they'd be like, "Oh my god, this girl."
>> I am the exact opposite. >> Yeah. You don't you don't be talking. >> I just be quiet.
>> But we do be talking for a living. We do be conversation partners pretty much
every day. >> But yeah, that's very true. >> We've never stopped conversing. In fact,
>> yeah, I like it. >> Yeah, I like it. >> All right. Well, I think that's all we
have. So, Jeffrey, mark down your time. >> Yep. >> Okay. Today, we're going to talk about a
pretty famous case. I'd be pretty surprised if you hadn't heard of it, but hey, who am I?
>> Hey, you never know. >> We're going to be talking about John and Lena Bobbit.
>> Ever heard of them? >> Ever heard of them? If you haven't, here we go. >> Oh, boy. And if you have, shall we
revisit revisit? >> Let's go. Let's take my hand. Let's go on a journey together.
>> Yeah. Come with me and you'll see >> truly >> that the world is pretty [ __ ] bleak.
>> I just want to give a trigger warning at the top for uh rape and sexual assault.
>> Pretty prevalent in this story. >> Themes of that. Um so yeah, if that's not something that you want to hear
about, just skip to the next episode and we get it. We understand. Well, we we'll
forgive you for anything. >> Yeah. Duh. >> Like that. Of course. >> Yeah. >> So, let's get into it. Lena Gio was born
in Ecuador in 1969, and she was actually raised in Venezuela. >> As a child, she watched American movies
and American TV, just dreaming that one day she would be able to move to the US.
Now, that day finally came for her in 1987 when she was issued a student visa after enrolling at Northern Virginia
Community College. Not long after she arrived in the US, she found part-time work as a manicurist at a salon. And she
just had a pretty easy time making friends. One night, just a few months after arriving in the country, her
friends convinced her to join them for a night out. They were going to go to a knack club and, you know, do nightclub
things. >> Do nightclub things. >> That's analog. >> Yeah. >> And they were going to, this nightclub
in particular was going to be near the US Marine Corps base at Quantico. It was there that she met Lance Corporal, and I
hope I said that correctly, John Wayne Bobbit. He was a Marine from Niagara Falls, New York. Uh Lena was immediately
attracted to John, and the feeling was mutual. They said, "You're hot. I'm hot. Let's do this."
>> Uh to Lena, John was more than just handsome, though. As a Marine in uniform, he represented that classic
Americana that she grew up seeing in movies and on TV, like very romanticized. She said, "I believed in this beautiful
country. I was swept off my feet. I wanted my American dream." >> I mean, I get it.
>> Yeah. >> Yeah. And it it truly is like the the image of like a military man, you know,
feels very Americana time, you know? >> You like you meet him one night out and he sweeps you out. You go dancing. I
mean, >> that's the thing. You go dancing, you meet a a marine. >> There's a million movies like that.
>> Of course. >> Now, John was equally charmed by Lena at first. Remembering his first impression,
he said she was innocent. She was real real sweet. So they started dating and within a year he claimed that both Lena
and his mother quote started pushing the idea of marriage as her visa was about to expire. So after a few months of what
he said was pressure, John gave into their demands and agreed to marry Lorena. In a very romantic summation of
the decision, he said had to bite the bullet, I guess. Get married. >> Oh, >> Americana.
>> Yeah, I was just going to say, wow. >> American dream >> romance. >> Bite the bullet. Get married. That's
nice. >> Yeah. >> If I ever heard that my mans had said that, >> that he just said, "I guess I had to
bite the bullet and marry you." >> That'd be real upsetting. >> Jeez. >> Now, Lena denies John's account of their
road to marriage, though. She claims that he proposed without any pressure, and that there was never any mention of
her student visa expiring or anything like that. Regardless of who asked who and for what reasons, they were married
on June 18th, 1989 when John was 22 and Lena was just 20. So, they were pretty young.
>> Yeah. At first, the marriage was everything that Lena wanted it to be and hoped that it would be. But not too too
long after the wedding, the cracks started to show. John later said Lena was a good wife a lot of the time, but
she was obsessed with having her American dream. Her American dream. Her American dream. She said it all the
time. Her boss had a big house, a cabin cruiser, a Mercedes. Lena wanted all those things. She just wanted too much
too fast. >> Like a girl can't have a vision board. She that's she's just manifesting.
>> Look it up. >> Yeah. According to Lena, it was just one month into their marriage when Jon's
attitude toward her started to change. She said in the very beginning, like when they were dating and even in the
really early days of their marriage, he was sweet, he was doing, but now she said he was demanding, pushy, and at
times just downright cruel. When she made mistakes or did something that he didn't like, she said that he would mock
her or even threaten to have her deported. >> Oh my god. which is [ __ ] up on an
entirely new level. >> In time, the verbal abuse turned physical, according to Lena, especially
when she declined his demands for sex. In a 1993 interview, she told a reporter, "Every time he will hit me, he
will just try to force me into the sex again. He trapped me. I feel trapped." >> If that's what happened, that is [ __ ]
up beyond measure. >> Super [ __ ] up. >> Yeah. >> So, by the time Lena Bobbit went on
trial, which if you know this case, you know why. and if you don't, you will shortly find out. But by the time that
happened, all the public and the media seemed to be able to focus on were the drastic actions that she took that led
to her arrest. But there was a long road from newlyweds to that action to then divorce. And a lot of it was very
chaotic and violent. >> In the four years that followed John and Lena's wedding,
>> Manasses, Virginia police responded to the couple's home on multiple occasions
in connection with domestic violence complaints. one of which resulted in John's arrest for assault and battery,
but the charges eventually were dropped. But there's a very clear history here, >> that things were going, it's not like
that came out of nowhere. >> No, things were going poorly. Now, at the same time, friends and clients at
the nail salon allegedly started to notice bruising on Lena's arms and her neck. So with nowhere else to go when
things turned violent at home, she would usually seek refuge at the nail salon, >> either working or when it was too late,
she didn't have a key to the salon. So when it wasn't open, she would just park outside and sleep in her car cuz she
just felt safe there. >> That's so sad. >> Mhm. Now, in 1991, John was discharged
from the Marines and he struggled to find steady work. As a result, she became the couple's sole source of
financial support, which like that's a lot. >> Yeah. And I mean she's a nail tech. Like
obviously you can make great money but she was just starting out and I don't think nail techs were making what they
are today back then. >> I'm sure not. >> So the stress and tension over their financial insecurity. Yeah. Insecurity
only made things worse between them. Obviously financial stress is only going to
>> make things a million times worse. >> Now it seemed like anything could set off an argument which often led to
verbal abuse and then escalated to physical violence. Now, it should be said while Lena claims that Jon was
primarily the one committing the physical abuse, Jon did call 911 on a number of occasions and accused Lena of
assaulting him. It's >> a very volatile relationship. >> And I just point that out because I have
to tell both sides. >> Yeah. Cuz that just is documented. >> Now, living in a relatively upscale
suburb, Lurena's salary from the nail salon quickly became insufficient. And in time, the couple's home ended up
going into foreclosure. Desperate for solutions at that point and running out of options, Lena started
falsifying her customers tickets at the salon to make it seem like she was earning more on each ticket in each
service. Her boss eventually discovered that Lena had taken approximately $7,200
from the salon over time. >> Wow. >> Yeah. By that time, she had worked at the salon for years, and they had become
like a second family. So, when the theft was discovered, her boss was actually sympathetic and didn't press charges.
>> Wow. The boss said she said she loved him and she wanted her marriage to work.
She was going to do anything to try to make her marriage work. >> Oh man. >> Like including stealing.
>> Yeah. >> Now, I think what happened was eventually she just like paid the money
back over time. Now, her boss's act of kindness kept Lena from the embarrassing and very costly consequences of going to
court and maybe even jail. But it did little to ease the tension at home. Like I said, their home was foreclosed on and
they ended up moving into a studio apartment. So, which if it's already like volatile,
now you're in an enclosed quarters. Yeah. >> Some of the financial pressure was relieved obviously by like spending less
money on rent in your living situation, but the relationship didn't improve. Lena claimed that Jon's verbal,
physical, and sexual abuse continued. And he claimed that Lena became increasingly and intolerably jealous and
possessive of him. >> Oh man. >> Yeah. By 1991, the relationship had pretty much deteriorated. And it was at the
point where they started separating, but then inevitably reconciling again. >> Oh, what an awful way to live.
>> Yeah. Just like >> constant turmoil >> on a roller coaster. >> And they just repeatedly questioned
whether their marriage could be salvaged and if it was worth it to even save it at all.
>> No. After years of abuse, Lena did want to get away, but she had also grown up
in a strict Catholic family. So, she felt that divorce was a sin. >> Yep. >> Not only that, but she also had invested
a lot into her marriage. And to her, she felt like quote unquote giving up wouldn't just mean that the relationship
was over, but it would be a sign that she had failed. >> Yeah. And that's like a very Catholic
way of looking at it, too. Like that you're giving up instead of saving yourself.
>> Exactly. It's like Catholic guilt. >> Yeah. So, if she was looking for a sign
that she should go back to John, it came in 1991 when Lina learned that she was pregnant. Years later, she told ABC News
that she was excited about starting a family. But that excitement quickly faded when she returned home and told
her husband about the pregnancy. To her surprise, Jon was less than enthusiastic
and told Lena he quote didn't think she was up to the task of motherhood. >> Wow.
Not I don't think we're ready to be parents. >> I don't think you're ready because this
will be on you. >> Cool. >> Like that's shitty. >> Cool. >> He allegedly insisted that she have an
abortion and fearing that she would lose him if she didn't, she agreed. >> Oh man.
>> Which like that's traumatic if that's not what you traumatizing. >> In a 2019 interview, John said we
weren't ready anyway, so I suggested we should wait. She wasn't happy about it, but you know what? What can you do?
>> That was in an interview. >> Uh-huh. What an [ __ ] >> Yeah. >> Like that's He's an [ __ ] in my
opinion. So, >> you know what you can do? Especially in the 90s. >> And also, she wasn't happy about it. But
And it's like, oh, she wasn't happy about it. It's her body. >> Her body. Also, John, you know what
makes a baby. >> Yeah. Exactly. >> Take precautions if you don't think either of you is ready or if she's not
ready. Like, what the [ __ ] >> No, that's a [ __ ] up way to say it. >> It really is. So, basically, their
relationship started to become a marriage of convenience. if it was even that. I don't even know that it was
convenient. >> But John made demands of his wife and Lena acquiesced regardless of what she
wanted or needed at the time. >> And sometimes she wasn't acquiescing. It was just happening allegedly. But no
matter how often she gave in, according to Lena, it was never enough. Later her attorney, Blau Howard, uh Blair Howard
would say the pushing, shoving, a punch here, punch there, and then she said it carried over into the bedroom that he
seemed to be very stimulated, excited by violent sex. Oh yeah. John denied ever having forced his wife to have sex with
him, but he did admit that their relationship was physically abusive occasionally.
>> From time to time. >> From time to time. Okay, >> that was my words, but he said
occasionally. >> Finally, in the spring of 1993, the abuse and the unhappiness became way too
much for the relationship to bear. One night, after Jon had been physically aggressive with her, Lena went to the
local police department. And while she was there, she started filling out paperwork for a protective order.
>> But as she filled out one section after another, which is a daunting task, Yeah.
especially if she was all by herself, it occurred to her that the order would likely mean her marriage was over and
she became washed with a feeling of shame. >> So, she abandoned the paperwork and left
the station before the order could be processed. >> Oh, man. >> Which is just so sad. Like
>> yeah, >> you wish that she had some kind of advocate or like >> I know someone to be with her and let
her know that like if this is what you feel like you have to do, then this is what you should do.
>> Yeah. And like this is your right. >> Like give her the confidence if that's what she felt like she needed. Exactly.
It's just sad that she >> didn't have that. >> Now, according to John, by the time Lena
went to the police station to file for the protective order, he had already asked for a divorce. He said later that
hurt her. It hit her like a ton of brick. She was crying and she was begging. She said she didn't believe in
divorce, but I said, "It's pointless. What's the point of staying married? You're not happy. I'm not happy."
>> Yeah. >> Which, like, I agree with you there, partner. >> He claimed that while they decided how
they were going to proceed in terms of their living situation, he invited a friend to come visit and stay with them
in the small one-bedroom apartment. This friend was uh Robert Johnston. So, on the evening of June 23rd, 1993, John and
Robert decided to go out drinking in DC. and Jon and his friend returned to the apartment in the early morning hours,
waking Lena by slamming the door. Robert Johnston went to sleep on the couch and
Jon went into the bedroom that he was still sharing with Lena at that point. According to his account, he climbed
into bed and tried to go to sleep, but Lena started making sexual advances. Ultimately, he admitted, quote, "Some
petting was going on that night, but no sex." Okay. Now, in Lena's account of the event, it's very different. John
came into the room, quote, "Jumped on top of her, forcibly ripped off her underwear, and sexually assaulted her."
>> Oh, wow. >> She claimed it was the second time in five days that she'd been assaulted by
him. After the assault, she said she remembered that Jon fell asleep and she just stayed up lying next to him trying
to process what had just happened. >> Yeah. Eventually, she got out of bed and she went into the kitchen to get a glass
of water. As she stood at the counter holding the water glass, she noticed an 8 inch Ginsu uh kitchen knife, which was
a brand that advertised for never needing to be sharpened. >> I remember those that brand.
>> Yeah, it was just sitting on the counter. Later, she said, "I didn't want to teach him a lesson. No, it was
survival, life and death. I was fearing for my life." >> Damn. >> So, she picked up the knife and she
returned to the bedroom, standing over her husband uh at his side of the bed. She pulled back the covers to reveal him
sleeping in the nude and she grabbed his penis and dragged the razor sharp blade
across his shaft which severed the organ entirely. Men, I'm really sorry for that
description. You have to be at such a point to do that. Yes, absolutely. That's all that's my opinion
on the matter is like I'm not I'm giving absolutely no opinion on what is happening here. I'm saying her state of
mind to be in that place I imagine you have to be in a real place. >> You're not alone with that feeling
>> to do that. >> Yeah. Absolutely. >> Like that is an extreme measure. >> Absolutely. And so I feel like you are
to just go for it like >> to that's the thing like me I'm sure many women have thought about this.
>> Yeah. >> Many >> y >> but going >> going through with it much different thinking about it
>> situation. So obviously the pain and the shock woke John up immediately at which point Lena
got the [ __ ] out of there. She fled the apartment into her car and just started
driving toward the nail salon while still holding John. >> I was just going to say she was still
holding it. >> She was still holding his penis. >> Not correct. I meant not correctly.
>> There's no correct way to hold that. Nope. >> While driving. >> Not a severed penis. No.
>> Like, you know, apart from its owner. >> Yeah. No. No. >> Yep. >> I'm so uncomfortable.
about a mile from away from the home, she realized she was still holding John's severed penis. So, she threw it
out the window. She said, "I tried to drive the car, but I had this thing in my hand, so I couldn't drive, so I got
rid of it." >> I mean, she was in a state. >> Yeah. I >> This I have to say this is not okay.
Obviously, like we're not go around like people's penis off, but >> but I do have to say she was in a state.
>> Yeah. And that's all. >> That's all. That's all. >> That's so by the time she Don't take
anything from like this is a this is a strange case. It's a tragic case. It's absolutely horrifying case.
>> We're not telling you what to do or not to do. We're just saying you got to be
in a real place to go through with this kind of thing. >> Yeah. And if we're telling you not to do
anything, it's absolutely to not cut your husband's penis off people's penis off.
>> We don't condone that here. But like I just I I feel for Lena for being at this
place. >> Yeah, absolutely. >> You know, >> so by the time she arrived at the nail
salon, her usual refuge, it was about 4:30 in the morning, and as her adrenaline started to to wear off, the
immediate and long-term consequences of her actions kind of started to dawn on her.
>> Yeah, I imagine. >> She called her boss, who she always went to, for comfort, and together they
called 911 to report what happened. So, she did >> kind of like turn herself in. I guess
you you could say. >> Yeah. >> By then, the paramedics had already been called to the apartment to tend to John.
>> But Lena's call provided the police not only with her location, but also the location of the overgrown lot next to
the 7-Eleven, where she had thrown the severed organ, I will say. >> Mhm. >> After combing through the grass and the
overgrowth for a bit, officers were able to locate the severed organ. Despite the
seriousness and the urgency of the moment, though, the men on the MA Manasses Police Department didn't know
how to proceed, which I can imagine this was most likely unprecedented. >> I was going to say, I I you know what, I
get that. I get I get not knowing how to proceed here. >> It seemed that none of them were
comfortable touching the severed penis, so they called for the paramedics who they figured would have latex gloves and
would know what to do. >> I mean, here's the thing. I one I'm like why don't you have gloves but two if you
don't have latex gloves I do understand not wanting to just like >> touch a penis a severed penis
>> pal a severed penis >> or or any discarded organ you know >> and you shouldn't like you should not be
going around touching them with your bare hands so I get that if that's the that's what it is like we don't have
gloves so we need someone Yeah I get that >> I guess yeah >> yeah uh Dr. Jim Sen, who later operated
on John, recalled, "The law enforcement people wouldn't touch it. They stood around staring at it until the ambulance
came up and gloves were obtained from the ambulance and they finally had the courage to pick it up."
>> Yeah. I mean, >> but again, if you don't have gloves, you shouldn't be touching it. Yeah. I can't
really like fall. If it's just like, "Ew, gross. >> I don't want to touch it." >> Is this going to make me gay touching a
penis? Like, if that's the vibe there, then like, [ __ ] off. But like, >> if you don't have gloves, I understand
not touching a severed anything. Yeah. Actually, you know what? Like, you know, >> do police usually have gloves on their
person? >> I would think they should have latex gloves or some kind of >> Yeah, that's kind of what I would think.
>> Or like a kit that should have some in there. >> Yeah. I mean, it was the '9s.
>> I was going to say this is the '9s, so who knows? But I would think that should
be something that would, you know, >> that's kind of what I thought, too. But >> I don't know. I would think
>> I've never been in a situation with the police where they needed gloves. You should never touch any body part that's
laying on the ground without gloves >> or like any evidence. >> That's a thing. So, I do understand that
if that's what it is. >> Although, yeah, I don't know. >> Yeah. >> So, one of the officers at least had the
foresight though to run to the nearby 7-Eleven and returned with a hot dog box filled with ice um where they placed the
penis before it was rushed to the hospital where Jon had been taken. It is important always to put severed body
parts on ice. >> Yep. Because it it does what does it do? >> It it like it like um helps the the
vessels kind of remain intact to be able to reattach >> period. >> Um and it stops like the you know a
necrosis that can happen. Uh it's the hot dog box that that really got me on that one.
>> Yeah. >> I don't know if I'm alone in that. >> No, I don't think you are. >> Okay. I was trying to breeze past it,
but >> Okay. I I couldn't let that go. >> No. And I think it would be I think it
would be silly if I let that go. None of you would believe that we let that go. >> That I let that go. So that's why I'm
mentioning it. >> You're not going to believe me just going, "Oh, okay. Yes, hot dog box."
>> What else would you really grab? What would you grab at 7-Eleven to put a se any severed organ in?
>> Here's the thing. >> You don't know. >> Probably a hot dog box. Like it makes
sense. It makes complete sense. >> They're always grilling those. always got a hot dog on top and it's there.
They they're always there. >> So, it was pretty perfect cuz you don't want to just put it in a bag because
then all the ice is going to like melt and get the bag all crazy. >> Sometimes the universe has a strange
sense of humor in the weirdest situations and I think that's one of those situations.
>> Very true. >> You know, >> yeah, I mean, I couldn't let that go. >> I would assume though that like a
7-Eleven sells ice, so you could get a bag of ice, but that would be really big.
>> Yeah. >> So, it's a good You know what? We'll move on. >> Yeah. because you don't want to just
like put it in a big bag of ice and get it crushed, you know? >> Yes. >> At least a box you can keep it in a
place where you can reattach it. >> So, it all makes sense. >> Yeah. >> But again, none of you would believe
that I wouldn't at least mention that. So, I'm being genuine with you. >> Good for you.
>> Thank you. >> I appreciate your gen your your genuiness. >> Thank you. >> So, your
to your genuiness. >> Uh so, urologist Dr. Jim Sen happened to be the doctor on call at the hospital
that night when he and when he got the call about John Bob, it was a little after 4:00 a.m. In a 2019 interview, he
said, "I was on my way into the emergency room, not knowing much about the case other than the patient had
presented with an amputation of the penis." >> At the same time, Lena and also John's
severed penis were still missing. So, Dr. Sen didn't know what to expect, like how they were going to move forward
here. >> Yeah, that's a that's a wild point in your career. Yeah, I bet you don't get a
lot of calls like that for especially like he's a urologist. >> Yeah. So he's like, "Oh,
>> that's not that's not necessarily standard. >> Here we go." >> So fortunately before he started tending
to the patient, Dr. Sen got the call from the police department saying that they had found the severed penis, packed
it in ice in a hot dog box, >> and we're rushing it to the hospital. And with that, he started making uh
preparations to reattach the penis. In order to complete the surgery, he relied on assistance from Dr. David Burman, who
was a plastic surgeon that had transferred to the hospital just one month earlier, as luck would have it.
>> Can you imagine? You're the new guy in town. You're the new guy on on >> on on the block
>> on the crew >> on the rounds. >> And this is this is what Yeah. In the pit. And this is the straw you draw.
>> I'm actually so surprised that the pit hasn't >> had some kind of like Yeah. >> recreation of this event. That would be
very interesting to see. >> Yeah. Well, yeah. I mean, it's HBO. They could, right? You know,
>> I mean, they've shown us a whole baby birth. >> I was just going to say they've shown
quite a bit. >> Yeah. I think I think they Yeah. Anyways, >> watch The Pit. It's a great show.
>> I love The Pit. You got to finish season two, dog. >> I know. I do. >> I got really upset about Langdon. So,
>> I get that. Well, he >> I was morning. >> Watch season two. He he comes back.
>> Good. >> So, Dr. Sorry, spoiler alert. Uh Dr. Sen said urologists don't generally replant
organs. So Dr. Burman's assistance and his experience in working with tiny blood vessels like those in a penis was
essential to their success. >> Yeah. The surgery took more than 9 hours to complete, but both surgeons were
surprised how successful they were in the end. But it would be some time before they knew if the organ would
continue to function normally. Thinking back on the injury, Dr. Sen is still surprised by how well everything went.
He said, "I had never seen an injury quite this gruesome before in urology. It's really just a unique moment, and
you can't help but get a gut-wrenching feeling in your gut to see it. Though, you quickly recover as a surgeon. We do
a lot of trauma, and you do what needs to be done." >> Wow. >> He'll remember that surgery for the rest
of his life. >> That's the surgery. >> Yeah. I'm also sure like >> being a man with the same organ, like
>> you probably feel something about it. >> Yeah. You'd have to, >> you know, >> you'd have to.
>> Yeah, I would think. So, while Dr. S and Dr. B like I have no idea. So, while Dr. Sen and Dr. Burman
in the emergency room uh worked to stabilize and reattach John's penis, the police arrived at the nail salon and
arrested Lena for the assault on her husband and charged her with malicious wounding, a crime that carried up to a
20-year prison sentence if convicted. Regardless of what had transpired in the weeks and months leading up to her
assault, Lorena's assault on her husband, the case did seem pretty straightforward and Lorena's actions did
seem indefensible under all but the direct circumstances. You know, >> however, as Prince William County
prosecuting attorney Mary Grace O'Brien was about to find out, there was very little about this case that was
straightforward. And by the time a verdict was rendered, it seemed that everybody in America had already formed
an opinion as to who was guilty and who was innocent. >> And people were on very different sides
of this, >> as I'm sure people still are. >> Yeah, probably. >> You know, like I'm sure there's crazy
like it's not it's not black and white. >> It's not black and white. No. And it's
just not it's it's quite salacious. Like it's not something you hear every day. >> Absolutely. And the way it was reported
was very salacious. the way it has been turned into what has been turned into is
very salacious. It's got all that. >> Exactly. >> But it's at its core, it's just sad.
>> It's very sad >> all around. >> For a marriage to get to that point, like >> that's a thing. And for two people to
get to that, like it's really sad. >> Now, given her confession, there was no doubt that Lena would be held
responsible for the violent assault. But what was likely a surprise to most was that after hearing her story and taking
the allegations of uh rape seriously, the prosecutor did charge John with one count of marital rape. Now, this is
[ __ ] crazy. Prior to the mid70s, sexual assault that occurred within a marriage was exempt from the laws that
criminalized rape. That is disgusting. >> And let me just break that down even further for you in case that's not quite
hidden. That meant under most circumstances it wasn't illegal for a husband to sexually assault or rape his
wife. >> What? >> I don't know how anybody could think that that is >> I also said the
>> anything but disgusting. >> 1970s. >> Yeah. >> Hello. >> Hello is right. >> Like what?
>> That's horrifying. >> Absolutely it is. So throughout the late 70s and into the 80s, thanks to various
feminist and activist groups, those laws slowly started to change only at a state
level. But by the early 1990s, there were still several states where marital rape was not a criminal act. Like how
insane is that? That's horrifying. Now, regardless of all the legal frameworks that made it possible to prosecute
marital rape, a lot of Americans at the time were actually surprised to learn that it was a crime. And some even
argued over whether it should be >> Yeah. If you were on that side of the the place, I
>> If you're on the side, >> we don't want to hear from you. >> It shouldn't be a crime for a husband to
rape a wife. >> Yeah. I don't want to hear from you. >> I You got to go. >> Yeah. I don't That's No.
>> What? >> Nope. >> What? >> Nope. >> Domestic violence activist Christelle Nicole Nichols told a reporter in 1993,
"These horrible things go on all day, every day." pointing to the domestic violence that had been taking place
behind closed doors for centuries at that point. But like I said, not everybody saw it that way. National
Center for Men director Mel Felt said, >> "Oh yeah, let's hear from him. >> I'm going to I'm going to say this how I
think it sounded. >> This is the result of feminists teaching women that men are natural oppressors.
>> Shut the [ __ ] up." >> No, this is the result of men raping their wives and people saying it out
loud. >> Truly shut what was his name? >> Mel Felt. Mel, shut the [ __ ] up. Yeah,
get [ __ ] >> Are you kidding me? We're really going to make this like a feminist start?
Like, what? >> Stop immediately. >> I can't. So, in early July, in his first public statement after the charges were
announced, John vehemently denied having raped Lena at any point in their marriage. His denial was accompanied by
his vivid descriptions of how he had not only been physically assaulted by his wife, but victimized in countless other
ways. When he returned home from the hospital after a 3 weeks stay, for example, he said he found the apartment
very nearly empty. His spokesperson, Paul Ericson, said she had removed every stick of furniture down to the frozen
chicken. >> Damn. >> To which I say, do you consider frozen chicken furniture? >> I was going to say,
do you sit on the frozen chicken? >> What? >> What? What part does that play in your
decor? >> I don't know. Frozen chicken isn't a part of my decor. >> It's not a part of mine.
>> Like, hello. Within days though, the Bobbits one's private arguments obviously spilled out into the public
because of the tabloid press, which like in the 90s was running rampant. >> It was the thing.
>> Yeah. And they got away with so much more in the '9s than they do today. >> It wasn't just the tabloids, though,
that were interested in the Bobbit story. By the end of uh July, nearly every news outlet in the country, from
the National Inquirer to the New Yorker, was covering the story. >> Oh, yeah. National Inquir
>> like that's wild. >> In the grocery store you'd see those. >> Oh yeah. The Yeah.
>> Yeah. >> The Bobbit story was elevated to the level of national attention mostly
because of the violent act committed by Lena. Obviously in a wild metaphor metaphor Mel felt
>> a wild metaphor. >> I was getting ready to say Mel in my weird voice so I said metaphor
>> metaphor. Uh, in a wild metaphor, Mel Feld told the New York Times, "In the Battle of the Sexes, this was like
stealing the other team's mascot." You You got to go sit down. You got to go sit down, Mel. I don't want to hear
from you again. Do I hear from Mel again? >> Mel, do you consider your penis a mascot?
>> That's why I need you to go sit down. >> I don't believe we hear from him again.
>> Sit down immediately. >> A mask? >> Are you kidding me, Mel? This is like removing stealing another team's mascot.
>> Your penis is your mascot. >> My boobies are my mascot now. >> Like, are we being real right now?
>> Come on. >> You're comparing your penis to Wall-E the green monster. >> How dare you?
>> Are you real? >> How very dare you? >> To Lucky. >> Get out of here. >> Done.
>> Yeah, I won't hear it. So, while men nervously covered their groins and grimaced at the thought of the
mutilation, many women and feminists around the country celebrated Lena's crime as an act of liberation. One woman
told the New York Times, "Usually the woman is the victim." This was the woman striking back. Every woman I've talked
to about this says, "Way to go." Said, "Damn girl." Not long after John started making the rounds on the radio and the
TV news shows, Lena just released a simple statement through a spokesperson saying, "I was the victim of repeated
emotional, physical, and sexual abuse. Everyone has a limit, and this was beyond mine."
>> So, there it is. Yeah. >> The combination of John's relentless victimhood, feminist cheers, and Lena's
simple statement acted as a spark in the powder keg that was becoming known as back then the battle of the sexes. Oh my
god, that that term like that phrase is >> Oh, it was used everywhere. >> Oh, I remember that being a thing. Yep.
>> That was like >> every competition reality show. Battle of the sexes. >> This was a battle of the sexes. It's
like >> such an overused term. >> Also, we can't chalk this like assault and demise of a marriage because of like
so many different kinds of assault. >> Yeah. >> Down to a battle of the sex. >> Well, that's And this isn't men versus
women. No, this is just two individuals and you look at it as an individual thing, right? And you look at it as a
case by case thing and you look at it and say, "What happened here? What led to this?" Obviously, that was an extreme
reaction. What led to that reaction, >> right? >> What's going on? Why Why would that
reaction have occurred? What do we do about this reaction? >> Like you're saying, this is something
you need to look at in a very clinical setting, >> not not battle of the sex. It didn't
need to be in the tabloids, but it of course it was. >> Of course it was. >> Before either of them had even seen the
inside of a courtroom or made the details of the case known, like all of them, they were national figures.
>> Yeah, of course. >> But in the case of Lena, she became a target. One man told a reporter she
ought to be executed. >> Oh, shut the [ __ ] up. >> Like, that's crazy. >> Like, really? Are you saying the same
thing about like, you know, serial killers and like child predators? Are you saying the exact same thing?
>> No, you're not. >> Come on. In the eyes of mostly men, Lena had tried to rob her husband of that
which is most precious and she hadn't done it. >> Is that is this is this real? >> Yes.
>> Like that which is most precious. >> That's how they felt back then. Um and again, we're generalizing here. Not
there are men who were feminists back then that felt the opposite way. But there were men who felt that she had
tried to rob him of that is that which is most precious >> as well. >> Yeah. And they didn't think that she had
done it in an act of self-defense. Well, and it's also like you're skipping over
any kind of argument you actually have here, which is like un I mean, the reality of the situation is that's
assault and it's like >> the end period. So, it's like you don't need to link it to like
>> that which is most precious. No, it's >> it's just at the end of the day. If you
just chalk it to that, that's your that's your answer right there. You don't need to attach it to some
mythological [ __ ] penis mascot. >> Yeah, you don't need to make your penis a mascot. That's for sure. Now, John's
lawyer, Greg Murphy, said this was all contrived to strike back at him after he said he was going to leave her. She was
acting out a fantasy that's in the psyche of many women. >> Who said that? >> Because you would know, Greg Murphy,
John's lawyer. >> Okay. John Murphy, >> you would know what I fantasize about. >> Yeah.
>> Yeah. >> Oh, babe. You wish. >> Period. Get the [ __ ] out of here. >> Like, shut up. Then that's the thing
that I It's >> That's the kind of [ __ ] that pisses me off. >> They make the argument very trivial in
something that is not trivial at all. >> No, this is a very serious case, but it
just became man. >> Very serious allegations on both sides of the the situation. And it ended in a
very serious thing happening >> that should be not taken lightly at all. the events leading up to it and the act
itself, none of it should be taken lightly, >> but everybody's just like women are
crazy in it. >> Well, and to generalize and be like even like them talking about like the what
men like find most precious and man feels that way like don't generalize like that. And then it's like and all
women have this crazy like part of their fantasy in their psych like [ __ ] you >> or even many like
>> we're just generalizing like entire groups of people now. >> The '9s love to generalize. Honestly, I
feel like we're back at it again. >> Back at it again with the generalizations. >> It's true.
>> Now, while the relentless news coverage of the story fueled the increasingly aggressive debate, there was still the
matter of the potential legal consequences for not only Lena, but for John, too.
>> Yeah. >> Although marital rape was a criminal act in Virginia at the time, the charge did
require that the husband and wife be living apart when the assault occurred. >> What? So, if you guys live together,
raping your wife isn't a crime. That's stupid as hell because also one of the hardest things is to end up moving apart
at the end. Like why they didn't live apart yet? >> You have owned assets. It's like a whole
thing. You're not just leaving. >> I mean look at the in their case they're both financially struggling. They
couldn't live apart yet. They very much wanted to it seems but they couldn't. That's like saying, and that's so stupid
because that's like saying if two people are roommates and one of them rapes the
other one that because they live in the same house, that's okay. >> That's not rape. Like,
>> but if they lived in two separate places, then they'd be a rapist. It's like what?
>> I don't understand the thought process at all. >> Yeah. >> But instead, at that time, the district
attorney charge uh charged John Bobbit with marital sexual assault. >> So to to move rape down to sexual
assault is wild. >> Yeah. That carried a penalty though of up to 20 years in prison if convicted
and John went on trial on November 8th, 1993. In his opening statement, Prince William County Attorney Paul Eert laid
out the case as he understood it. Lena Bobbit had been victimized by her husband for several years, including
twice on the week of the attack, and she finally snapped and retaliated against him, cutting off his penis.
>> And that was the argument, right? >> That was the argument. This, the prosecutor claimed, was supported by the
statements provided by Lena's family and friends, who would also testify that they had some knowledge of the abuse and
had even seen bruises after previous beatings. This was testimony. >> Yeah, this is all like part of the
trial. So, among the more interesting testimony given during John's brief trial came from Lena, who described
their relationship leading up to the attack, saying she was quote distraught after he choked and raped her for the
second time in 5 days. That was her testimony. The evidence against Jon was circumstantial but significant. In
addition to Lena's testimony, one of the officers who interviewed her on the evening of the assault testified that he
was convinced that she was telling the truth and he was quote unquote concerned for her safety because of what she told
me. >> Oh man. >> There were also contradictory statements given by John as to whether or not he
and Lena had engaged in sex that night. >> At first, he said they had, but then later he said he he didn't remember. He
wasn't sure. Despite all the evidence, John's lawyer, Greg Murphy, laid out a surprisingly simple defense. He said
Lena was a quote social climber who wanted to spite her husband for being a selfish lover.
>> Huh. >> Yeah. Uh he said she had only concocted the rape allegations to support her
self-defense claim. Oh, >> okay. >> After just 3 days of trial, the jury ret uh retired for deliberation and returned
less than 4 hours later to acquit John Bobbit on aggravated sexual assault charges. Or this it was a single charge.
When the verdict was announced, his mother shrieked with joy in the back of the courtroom, and Jon pumped his fist
with enthusiasm. "Cool." >> The jury actually had been moved by Lena's testimony, and they claimed they
were sympathetic, but they ultimately felt that there was not enough evidence to prove the sexual assault charge.
Juror William Voit told a reporter, "If someone had heard her scream or if there
had been some sort of bruising, that would have been more substantiative evidence."
>> Okay. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I have it's How is she supposed to prove it? >> How are you supposed to prove that you
were right? >> That's Yeah. Just a few weeks after calling Lena Bob as a witness in the
case against her husband, District Attorney Paul Ebert found himself on the other end of the argument, at the start
of Lena's trial for malicious wounding. That had to have been wild. >> Yeah. >> Unlike the previous case where he
expressed implicit sympathy for the accused, this time he made no secret of how he felt for Lena this time or felt
about her. He told a reporter she belonged behind bars. In a highly emotionally charged replay of Jon's
trial, Lena took the stand for a second time in her own trial to describe her marriage with Jon and her state of mind.
On the night of the attack, she described in graphic terms how he had choked and violently raped her. And she
told the prosecutor through sobs, "It was hurting me. Maybe you don't understand because you're a man. He
didn't understand because he's a man." >> Oh, that's really sad. >> It is sad. In addition to the emotional,
verbal, and physical abuse that she claimed, she also told of Jon's various affairs and their effect on her psyche.
As for the attack itself, she didn't deny that she had done it, but she claimed she had been in fear for her
life and genuinely believed that Jon would kill her, but also claimed that she wasn't in her right mind at the
time. Now, while the claim may have made sense to most people, it was a different
matter when it came to the law. Speaking on behalf of Lena, one psychiatrist supported the self-defense
and temporary insanity defense, saying that Lena quote struck at the instrument of her torture and she was suffering
from post-traumatic stress disorder, which >> that seems >> I can understand that as an argument.
I'm not saying one way or the other how I would feel on the jury, but like >> yeah, you can see that that that's
logical. >> Yeah. Like Yeah. However, though, a psychiatrist testifying on behalf of the
prosecution rejected the defense, saying, "The severing of the penis is goal oriented behavior, and a truly
impulsive act would have been random and indiscriminate." >> Okay. >> And I can see that side of the argument,
too. That's tough. >> Yeah. >> In the end, the jury was left exactly where the American people were on the
matter. A story of he said, she said, >> with only circumstantial evidence and their instincts to guide them toward a
verdict. On January 21st, they came down the middle, finding Lena not guilty by reason of temporary insanity, but
recommending that she be committed to a psychiatric facility for evaluation. >> Okay.
>> She was sent to a mental health facility and she underwent treatment uh and observation for more than a month before
a Prince William County judge accepted the hospital's report that she was no longer a danger to herself or others and
she was discharged, effectively bringing the case to an end. >> It makes when you're saying like
temporary insanity. Yeah, it does make sense that that's an act of complete like blackout, you know.
>> Yeah. I think the thing, and I'm not arguing this, I'm just saying like I'm telling both sides of the story. I think
the thing that people don't understand and like why they fight against the temporary insanity is because she went
to the kitchen and had a glass of water and like >> people see that as a moment to
>> Yeah. And I can see that >> to come to your senses, I guess, >> for sure. >> But I don't know.
>> That's the thing. It's not a black and white case in my opinion. At least >> it's not. I don't think so either.
>> Among the more frustrating and disappointing aspects of the Bobbit case though is that by the time Lena was
released from the mental health facility, her story had gone from a tragic account of domestic violence to a
national joke. >> Yeah. Well, that's the thing. It becomes a joke. >> And same thing for John Bobbit at the
end of the day. Like he he was acquitted of that rape charge. So, >> you know, who knows at the end of the
day? But it's like they both became jokes. >> Yeah. And this is not a joke. >> When no matter what, he even admitted
that their relationship got physically violent. >> And it's like no matter what, this is a
tragic thing. Marriage was toxic and >> abusive and horrible by all accounts, by
their own accounts. >> And it's like to for it to become a joke after that when it ended in such a
volcanic eruption >> Yeah. >> that ruined a lot of lives. >> Mhm. That's wild. That we're just like,
"Haha, lol. Isn't that funny?" Yeah. Once both trials concluded, the mutilation of John Bobbit was a source
of humor in everything from late night talk shows and Saturday night uh Saturday Night Live to men's magazines
like Playboy and even supposedly highbrow publications like New York Magazine. It was like everybody forgot
about the abuse and the sexual assault that led to the act and just wanted to joke about it. And I think it's easy to
look at it with such a a narrow lens of being like, "Wow, that was crazy." Like,
you know, she cut off his penis and threw it in a field. Like, that's >> it's a crazy that is like crazy and like
so like >> slapstick wild. Like, you can't even conceive of that happening. >> But go deeper.
>> But then when you actually think about what led to that, >> why did that happen? What [ __ ] was going
on that led to that that nobody is saying made it right or like you know I mean it's just it's not right or wrong.
>> What is the stuff that happened behind closed doors that drove somebody to that?
>> Exactly. In a 2019 interview, Lena told a reporter they always just focused on
it and it's like they all missed or didn't care why I did what I did. >> Yeah. >> John, meanwhile did everything that he
could to cash in on his newfound stardom. In addition to making the rounds on cable and daytime talk shows,
he sold t-shirts for $25 that said love hurts. By the end of the year, John was featured in a pay-per-view New Year's
Eve special. And then in 1994, he starred in his first porno, John Wayne Bobbit Uncut, which was followed two
years later by a second porn film titled John Wayne Bobbit's Franken Penis. Moving on from that, wow. Throughout the
'9s, and the 2000, John used his status to his financial benefit. And while that
might have helped with his legal and hospital bills, his stardom did not keep him out of trouble. In the years since
the trial, he's been arrested several times for various crimes, including serving jail sentences for assaulting
two different women he was romantically involved with. >> Wow. >> The last time he was in the news, it was
due to his um he had to have several toes amputated because of toxic peripheral polyurop neuropathy, which he
claimed he contracted from severely contaminated water that he was exposed to during his time in the military.
>> Huh. Yeah. Okay, Lena, she took a different track after her trial. She chose to kind of try her best to blend
back into her community and avoid the spotlight, only occasionally giving interviews. Like John, she was flooded
with offers from countless news outlets and a lot of companies, including a $1 million offer to pose for Playboy, which
she turned down. She returned to her job at the nail salon, and a few months later, she met a man named uh Dave
Bellinger, and they quickly fell in love. They were married, and today they have a daughter. Lena said, "Before when
I was young, when I was married, I was really uh naive and young. I didn't know what I wanted. He's my best friend and
he's a good father." Referring to her new husband. >> As for the different approach to her uh
to life her ex-husband took after this and after the trials, Lena said that she was disappointed and frustrated with
John. She said that kind of did bother me that he was, you know, going up and trying to make money off a tragedy. And
you know, that was a tragedy. I mean, if he doesn't consider it a tragedy, he's wrong.
>> Yeah. Over the years, she says that she's learned to make peace with the past, and she accepts that there will
always be people who recognize her for this one moment in her life. But she does continue to speak out on behalf of
domestic violence survivors. And she says she hopes to open a shelter for women in need someday, like she was
three decades ago. >> When she was asked about how she feels about everything that happened in
general, she was surprisingly pragmatic. She said, "I'll put myself through the jokes and everything as long as I can
shine a light on domestic violence and sexual assault and marital rape." Damn. And that is the story of Lena and John
Bobbit. Wow. It's a wild case. Like when you really break it down, what happened
is tragic. It's tragic that she was abused in her marriage, that things got physically aggressive, quote unquote, or
>> yeah, >> physical in any way. And it's tragic that she got to the point where she felt
the need to sever her husband's penis. It's just so tragic. Their whole marriage stories and what happened is so
tragic. >> What happened before, what happened during, what happened after is all
bizarre and tragic >> cuz that affects you for the rest of your life. I mean, >> absolutely.
>> People are going to talk about this story until the end of time. >> Yeah. Exactly.
>> But what a case. >> I'm glad she is turning it into something positive. >> Yeah. by like advocating
>> for domestic survivors. Yeah, absolutely. >> So like good for good for Lena for
turning it around. >> You want to see like you know reform I guess to some degree and she served her
time in the hospital and then she turned her life around. So >> and now she's paying it forward
>> and she's not ever been violent again with anybody else. So obviously >> Yeah,
>> she's doing a good job. Yeah, it's like, hey, advocating for people who are going
through domestic violence and rape survivors is a honorable thing. >> Absolutely.
>> Fun fact. >> Yes. >> Fun fact, >> please. >> Mine or yours? >> Lord, I'll find a fun fact.
>> Okay. >> So, this is a scary fun fact. >> Oh, you love that. >> I do. Have you ever heard of Point Nemo?
>> Point Nemo? I feel like I have heard of that. Point Nemo in the Pacific Ocean is
the farthest place from land that we have on Earth. >> Okay? >> It is closer, if you are there, you are
closer to the astronauts on the International Space Station than you are to any human on land.
I hate that. >> Yeah. Do people like sail to Point Nemo? I don't know what people do with Point
Nemo. >> Do people go to Point Have Have you been to there, listener? >> Let's look.
>> That's [ __ ] >> Yeah, >> it's very rare that people go to Point Nemo, I would imagine.
>> But like they must know like somebody's been there cuz they know what extreme
explorers, like scientists, like all those people. Oh, >> that's so terrifying. Point Nemo is the scariest
place on Earth. >> Apparently, it's used as a spacecraft cemetery. Oh yeah, that makes sense.
>> Defunct satellites, cargo vessels, and retired space stations are deliberately
steered into the atmosphere above this region so that any surviving debris harmlessly crashes it into the deep
ocean well away from human populations. >> That makes sense. >> I want to learn everything about now.
>> It's going to become a new hyperfixation. So, >> I don't know how fun that was, but
>> yeah, it's cool though. >> You know what? I should do fun facts and you should do [ __ ] facts.
>> Scary facts. Yeah, >> maybe we'll do that. >> So, we'll say fun facts and then I'll
say [ __ ] facts. >> [ __ ] facts. >> I think that's a good >> You have to be You have to make sure you
pronounce the ed. >> [ __ ] facts. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Well, we hope you keep listening for
that. >> Yeah. And we hope you >> keep it weird, but not so weird that you go to Point Nemo. I don't I don't I
don't know. But someone go there. >> Somebody keep it that weird, but like not too many people cuz it sounds scary.
Bye. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Hey, hey, hey.

After Lorenna Bobbitt’s husband John sexually assaulted her at their home in Virginia in the summer of 1993, she retaliated by waiting until he was asleep, she decided to fight back. Following the attack, Lorena fled the house in her car and eventually pulled over to the side of the road to call 911 and report the incident, at which time she was arrested. Though salacious, this incident of domestic violence would likely have gone unnoticed by the rest of the American public; however, at the time, debates about domestic violence and marital rape were raging and the Bobbitt case came to serve as an example of the consequences and effects of that violence, for arguments on both sides. As a result, the Bobbitt case became one of the most high-profile criminal cases in the country—and then it became a national joke. References Anolik, Lili. 2018. "Lorena Bobbitt's American Dream." Vanity Fair, June 28.

Chozick, Amy. 2019. "You know the Lorena Bobbitt story. But not all of it." New York Times Magazine, January 30.

Effron, Lauren, and Sean Dooley. 2019. John Bobbitt speaks out 25 years after wife infamously cut off his penis. January 4. Accessed July 10, 2026. https://abcnews.com/US/john-bobbitt-speaks-25-years-wife-infamously-cut/story?id=60023049.

Labton, Stephen. 1993. "Husband acquitted of assault in mutilation case." New York Times, November 11: 18.

Lentz, Kelsey. 2025. "Where Is Lorena Bobbitt Now? All About Her Life 32 Years After She Cut Her Husband's Genitals Off." People Magazine, June 23.

New York Times. 1993. "Battle of the sexes joined in case of mutilation." New York Times, November 8: 16.

—. 1993. "Husband tells court of sexual mutilation by wife." New York Times, November 10: 20.

—. 1993. "Tearful woman tells jury why she cut off her husband's penis." New York Times, November 9: B8.

News, CBS. 2008. Lorena Bobbitt, 15 years later. June 25. Accessed July 14, 2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lorena-bobbitt-15-years-later/.

Potomac News. 1993. "Maimed man ponders TV offers for his story." Potomac News, July 11: 1.

Silman, Anna. 2019. "The Bobbitt penis doctor on the surgery he'll never forget." The Cut, February 13.

Tannenbaum, Denyse. 1993. "No rape, mutilated man says." Potomac News, July 13: 1.

Valle, Ana. 1994. "Bobbitt trial to resume Tuesday after emotional Friday." Potomac News, January 16: 8.

—. 1994. "Experts disagree on state of mind." Potomac News, January 19: 1.

Williams, Marcia. 1993. "Ebert needs to watch his words carefully." Potomac News, December 3: 10.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022) Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023) Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025) Listener Tale Theme Music licensed from https://www.purple-planet.com Main Theme: Matti Paalanen — Trick or Treat — Provided by Jamendo Ad Music: Title: Artist: BlueJay Studio — Spooky Waltz — Provided by Jamendo

Brief Summary

The episode discusses the John and Lorena Bobbitt case, focusing on domestic violence, sexual assault, and media sensationalism.

Key points

Introduction of the Bobbitts. Elena and Ash introduce the infamous case of John and Lorena Bobbitt, hinting at its dramatic events.
Lena's American Dream. Lena reflects on her romanticized view of America and her attraction to John Bobbitt.
Escalation of Abuse. Lena describes the shift from a seemingly perfect marriage to one filled with abuse.
Pregnancy and Pressure. The couple's relationship deteriorates further when Lena becomes pregnant and faces pressure from John.
Lena's Desperate Act. In a moment of fear for her life, Lena took extreme measures against her husband.
The Surgery. Dr. Sen and Dr. Burman successfully reattached John's severed penis after a 9-hour surgery.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

If you drank every time we said analog, um, sorry to your liver.

A humorous comment about their use of the word 'analog'.

5:20WatchJul 27, 2026

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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