Betty,Betty,Betty... she represents the the plight and sacrifices of a woman being in a male dominated society. The 90’s lifetime movie based on her life portrayed her as a villain, it doesn't really delve into her husband and his whores cruelty. It just portrays Betty as irrationally angry about the divorce.
The series was the depiction of someone who completely went off the deep end after years of narcissistic abuse. She absolutely played an integral part of her husband becoming a professional. Working several odd jobs to help put him through both med and law schools. While taking care of two small children, helping him study and typing his legal briefs.
Her husband Dan was literally the textbook definition of gaslighting..it was sick. The entire San Diego Bar was complicit in letting Dan fuck Betty over in every which way. She was alienated, ostracized, ridiculed, denied adequate financial support lied on etc. He added insult to injury by not only taking their kids, maliciously denying visitation and access to them. Any woman would’ve lost their sanity behind those antics, I don’t care what they try and tell you.
So while Dan galavanted around town with his half-aged floozie; while her friends and family played along she was supposed to be ok? She definitely had credible claims of battered wife syndrome.
She was obsessed and obsessive because he literally made everyone around her think she was nuts. She grew increasingly angry and unhinged because she was the only person who could SEE the abuse. Even turned her own children against her at one point. He had been successful in taking almost everything important from her and gave it to a younger, prettier whore he groomed to worship him. He was awful.
Like, I’m not even getting into the fact that they let a mentally impaired woman argue her case pro se, while her husband hid assets.
The reality is worse than the show. Like, Betty was mentally deteriorating and walking around with a gun in her handbag and Dan was still serving her with contempt orders. Nobody stopped this man, and he didn’t care which way he fucked her over.
Dan and his floozie relished in tormenting Betty but I guess they thought she wouldn't do anything more than rant and act crazy. They pushed her to the point of no return and paid for it with their lives. They truly undermined her sanity.
I know how it feels to be tormented by a man, I know how it feels for nobody to believe you, I know how it feels to be left for another woman. I also know how it feels to completely fuckin snap and nobody to understand you. Men don’t seem to realize there is only so much one can take. Although, my experiences can’t be compared to what this woman went through I’m still empathetic. I’m saddened she’s been denied parole twice. I’d be surprised if she lived to her next eligibility hearing which would put her at 84 years old. We all deserve second chances right?
FREE ELIZABETH ANN BRODERICK