During the ’90s, Lorena Bobbitt’s name was known everywhere.
Fresh from his colossal success with the Oscar-winning Get Out, Jordan Peele has his pick of projects and with a rumoured sequel on the way, it’s clear that Peele is a man that’s very much in demand.
Aside from the scary scenes and sharp dialogue, a large reason why Get Out resonated with so many film fans was the fact that Peele clearly has his ear to the ground in terms of satire and social commentary.
With this in mind, we’re very curious to see what he has planned on the upcoming docuseries about the life of Lorena Bobbitt. Anyone that lived during the ’90s might be familiar with Bobbitt’s infamous story because she made worldwide headlines in 1993 after she cut off her husband’s penis with a knife while he was asleep in bed.
The penis was subsequently surgically reattached.
Bobbitt’s violent attack was the focus of countless jokes, monologues, chatshow discussions and even merchandise, but one thing was rarely mentioned, the issue of domestic violence and marital rape.
Under US law, marital rape didn’t become illegal in all 50 states until 1993, the year that Lorena, as she described it to police, snapped after her husband had sexually assaulted her.
During the trial, Bobbitt testified that she didn’t realise what she had done until she snapped back to reality and saw that she was driving with the knife and severed penis in her lap.
Bobbitt’s lawyers argued that the mutilation was done in a state of temporary insanity due to the severe domestic abuse and repeated sexual assault that she suffered at the hands of her husband. Ultimately, this argument prevailed because the jury acquitted her of all charges in January 1994.
After the couple divorced, John Bobbitt remarried but was sentenced to prison for violating his probation after he was arrested on battery charges involving his then-wife Joanna Ferrell. Lorena Bobbitt went on to found Lorena’s Red Wagon organiSation, which helps prevent domestic violence through family-oriented activities.
In an interview with The Huffington Post, Lorena Bobbitt said that she’s still annoyed that most people tend to dwell on the fact that she mutilated her husband’s penis, not the continued assault and abuse that she suffered. “They wanted to talk about his penis, not my story. Maybe it looked like a reality show from the outside, but we were not in a cast. It was real life,” she said.
Peele will produce the docuseries for Amazon and speaking at its launch, he said: “When we hear the name ‘Bobbitt’ we think of one of the most sensational incidents to ever be catapulted into a full-blown media spectacle. With this project, Lorena has a platform to tell her truth as well as engage in a critical conversation about gender dynamics, abuse, and her demand for justice. This is Lorena’s story, and we’re honoured to help her tell it.”
The feature will be Peele’s first foray into the world of documentary and he’s picked one hell of a story to adapt. We’re very curious to see how this turns out.
