Lorena

The ‘Lorena’ Docuseries Puts A #MeToo Spin On The Woman Who Chopped Off Her Husband’s Penis

On February 15th, Amazon Prime is releasing a series on Lorena Bobbit, the woman who sliced off her husband’s penis with a kitchen knife in the middle of the night. The series revisits the events which took place in 1993, shedding a new light on the case.

The series is being produced by Oscar winner, Jodan Peele, who wrote and directed Get Out. Peele has announced he wants to help Lorena tell her side of the story after being mocked and misunderstood for such a long time.

Back in 1993, when the news of what Lorena had done first broke, the male-dominated press made her a running joke. They entertained audiences with her suffering.

The upcoming docuseries is appearing in the wake of the #MeToo movement because women are finally being given platforms to raise their voices.

Lorena suffered from years of abuse at the hands of her husband, John Wayne Bobbitt. She revealed she was scared to leave him because he might kill her. She also claimed he had repeatedly raped her, bragged about being unfaithful, stole and sold her jewelry, and forced her to have an abortion.

During the court case, the prosecution and defense agreed she had been mentally and physically abused throughout her marriage. They decided she was not guilty due to insanity caused by clinical depression and post traumatic stress disorder triggered by his abuse.

Since separating from her husband, Lorena has been helping victims of domestic violence. She demands justice for what she went through and wants to assure no other woman has to suffer the same fate.

Lorena’s story brings up an interesting set of questions. Why was the media adamant about treating her as a joke? Why are women in abusive situations condemned when they finally stand up for themselves, when they finally fight against their abusers?

This four-part series will make you look at Lorena in an entirely new way. It will make you question whether she deserved the hate she received or whether she deserved a little more understanding.

You can check out the trailer below: 

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January Nelson is a writer, editor, and dreamer. She writes about astrology, games, love, relationships, and entertainment. January graduated with an English and Literature degree from Columbia University.