Re: Betty Broderick

pdlinda · ‎10-23-2011

What you're describing is a person with a clinical serious mental illness. It is treatable but first the person has to acknowledge and participate in care.

I had an aunt like that...the kids had to adhere to a schedule for using their one bathroom and there were other strict rules. Both kids turned out to have major problems in life as adults.

My aunt was undiagnosed and it was accepted that her behavior was "normal." It wasn't. Of course that was MANY YEARS AGO.

My aunt dropped dead of a massive coronary thrombosis at the age of 41.

Betty was where she belonged. Prison is a very regimented environment. She, apparently, thrived there. Too bad 2 people had to die for her to be placed in an environment where she wasn't a danger to herself and others.

shoekitty · ‎03-10-2010

just like Love Story, much was left out because the director wanted to portray one angle of the story. For instance, the director and writer of one Betty Broderick story said although Betty had a boyfriend she cared for after Dan Left....they eliminated him because it wasn't conducive to the story of the divorce itself. Just like in Love Story, they wrote story from documents, newspaper, media and never interviewed one person that knew Dan. o same for Love Story, not one person who knew John and Carolyn, or even family was consulted. They said they woukd have loved to give facts. The writers felt they wanted to portray an angle to each story, like the divorce emotional turmoil in Betty's case, and how SHE saw the experience. And in John and Carolyn story they wanted to focus on the relationship itself. They just leave out all the outer edges and detail that might sway opinion. Or, in these two stories they twisted some facts, fudged a little, or entirely omitted facts that might change opinion of their story. In Betty's case, it was a women scorned, who they wanted public to sympathize with, for her dutiful service to marriage, family and husband. A flawed woman, hurting In John and Carolyn's they often made others look the bad guy to raise John or Carolyn's romance and relationship. They wanted the viewers to be invested in the couple. It happens. There are disclaimers in these movies, just like you see on Law and Order, lol. Betty's kids did speak out, a couple supported her, but wouldn't speak publicly a couple of Betty's kids did speak out, one wrote a book years later.

“sometimes you have to bite your upper lip and put sunglasses on”….Bob Dylan

Franklinbell · ‎01-04-2015

I just read that! I watched that show many times.

willomenia · ‎07-31-2011

@qbetzforreal wrote:
She passed away on 5/8/2026. I hope she is finally able to rest. RIP

Hope she has no peace

willomenia · ‎07-31-2011

@Ronettes wrote:
@Linmo wrote:
Old fashioned values here - I would be totally PO'ed if I supported my husband financially while he was making his way up the ladder in addition to caring for our children and then he left me for another woman regardless of her age.

But I would not kill him or his new wife. Betty had every reason to feel enraged over Dan's actions. The fact that she killed Dan and his wife suggest that she was suffering from some sort of mental health issue. I hope that she can finally rest in peace.
I too hope Betty has found peace.
The odd thing is that none of us really know what we might do if we were in Betty's shoes - I wouldn't hurt or kill someone, I'd probably just move on. But Betty did work and care for the children for years, I can understand her rage.

I do know I wouldn't kill people. Hope she is where she belongs, he**

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

Well, if you consider that Dan used her and then dumped her .... " Hxxx hath no fury as a woman scorned ...."

Not all women accept this type of situation gracefully.

The one thing that never tracked for me was if he felt Betty was a nut case, why didn't he have a good home alarm system?

Isobel Archer · ‎04-04-2015

I remember watching her trial on Court TV. As noted, she put her husband through law school and made a good home and did everything expected of her and more.

Then he had an affair and married a much younger woman who worked in his office. Betty said she felt like this woman basically just took her life. Again, as noted, he treated her horribly in the divorce and she snapped.

willowbark · ‎07-20-2025

One day someone at work put a bug in my husband's ear that if you want to really know what is going on with your spouse, demand to see their journal of passwords they use for paying bills, shopping etc. So, after work he marches up to my desk demanding that I produce my journal of passwords.

I was stunned. I knew that my journal was not very legible and so was embarrassed by that but handed it over to him and he interpreted by hesitancy as guilt as he seemed to salivate over the prospect of knowing once and for all, who was at top of mind. He just knew I had at least 10 old boyfriends (actually only one who I never thought about). The only name he saw was his own interspersed with numbers and lower case and upper case letters.

We were married about 25 years when he pulled that stunt that he was dead serious about. Just when you thought you knew someone. I never got angry or anything like that just watched my husband turn around and not say a word and walk back into our bedroom to get out of his work clothes. Then, it was time for dinner and life went on.

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

@willowbark wrote:
One day someone at work put a bug in my husband's ear that if you want to really know what is going on with your spouse, demand to see their journal of passwords they use for paying bills, shopping etc. So, after work he marches up to my desk demanding that I produce my journal of passwords.

I was stunned. I knew that my journal was not very legible and so was embarrassed by that but handed it over to him and he interpreted by hesitancy as guilt as he seemed to salivate over the prospect of knowing once and for all, who was at top of mind. He just knew I had at least 10 old boyfriends (actually only one who I never thought about). The only name he saw was his own interspersed with numbers and lower case and upper case letters.

@willowbark

So I guess you decided to keep the husband even though he believed the idiot at work?

People often use various passwords based on what they will remember, not who they secretly want to be with.

What a strange experience.

KKJ · ‎03-11-2010

@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
@willowbark wrote:
One day someone at work put a bug in my husband's ear that if you want to really know what is going on with your spouse, demand to see their journal of passwords they use for paying bills, shopping etc. So, after work he marches up to my desk demanding that I produce my journal of passwords.

I was stunned. I knew that my journal was not very legible and so was embarrassed by that but handed it over to him and he interpreted by hesitancy as guilt as he seemed to salivate over the prospect of knowing once and for all, who was at top of mind. He just knew I had at least 10 old boyfriends (actually only one who I never thought about). The only name he saw was his own interspersed with numbers and lower case and upper case letters.

@willowbark

So I guess you decided to keep the husband even though he believed the idiot at work?

People often use various passwords based on what they will remember, not who they secretly want to be with.

What a strange experience.

Strange indeed. My husband would NEVER do that.