Serious question, why has no one ever tried to theorize that john could have abused paul at some point? i know that’s a very serious accusation, but the kind of person john was makes it feel very possible to me, how impulsive he was. i understand a lot of people have a very special affection for john, but this idea has been in my head for days, and the things i read don’t make it seem completely absurd. obviously this is just a theory and i don’t want to accuse john of abuse because i wasn’t there, god, john and paul spent a lot of time drunk or high according to paul himself, whether he took advantage of paul in that kind of state. i’m clarifying again that i’m not speaking seriously, it was just a random thought i had. paul sometimes tends to romanticize abusive situations, look at his father.
I understand why your mind goes there, especially because John was complicated, impulsive, emotionally volatile, and by his own admission capable of cruelty. There are documented examples of him being verbally harsh, physically violent in some relationships, jealous, possessive, and reckless when drunk or high. So I do not think it is “absurd” that someone might wonder whether darker things could have happened behind closed doors.
That said, I think the important distinction is between theorizing about a possibility and stating it as something that happened. With John and Paul, there is no solid evidence that John sexually or physically abused Paul in that way, and because both men are real people one dead, one still alive... it is a very serious thing to imply too strongly.
What I do think can be discussed more fairly is that their relationship had emotionally abusive elements at times. John could belittle Paul, test him, compete with him, mock him, pull him close and then push him away. Paul, meanwhile, often seemed to explain away or soften painful dynamics, whether with John, his father, or other authority figures. He has a tendency to romanticize complicated people and situations, or at least to frame them with warmth after the fact. Look at how Paul frames his father - a man we know physically and emotionally abused him!
So while I would be very cautious about suggesting John “took advantage” of Paul without evidence, I do think it is reasonable to talk about the possibility of emotional harm, power games, dependency, jealousy, and blurred boundaries especially in an environment where they were young, famous, under pressure, drinking, using drugs, and intensely bonded.
I do understand and often agree on why someone looking closely at their dynamic might sense something unhealthy, even disturbing, underneath the love and creative partnership. John was a very disturbed, toxic person. I do not like John. Never have. I find his work to be thin and over-rated. Early Beatles music is not for me. That was John's work mostly. When Paul came into his own, that is when The Beatles thrived and became the legendary band they are today. John couldn't stand it, he knew Paul was thriving and his jealously took over and he pushed Paul aside. John never recovered from what he did. Can you imagine the guilt he had over what he did to Paul!??! Why does no one ever discuss THAT!?!?
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