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Last year during national Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and I mean exactly one year ago on October 28, 2008, I wrote about one of the most disturbing cases with a connection to domestic violence the nation had seen in a while. A tale of horror unfolded, the murders of the mother, brother and young nephew of acclaimed actress and singer Jennifer Hudson. The alleged perpetrator, her sister's estranged husband William Balfour, was later arrested.
While we rejoice with Hudson that she appears to have triumphed over tragedy, it's noteworthy that we've heard very little about the murders since Balfour's court appearance in January. After the initial flurry of sensationalistic coverage, the murders and their connection to domestic violence faded away.
Here we are again. It's national Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and we're lamenting other cases we've heard over the past year such as the Chris Brown/Rihanna incident. A tragedy equal to Brown beating the singer is the number of people who blame Rihanna, declaring she must've done something to deserve a whipping like that. Dissecting the young lovers' troubles, we've re-examined other famous domestic violence cases, such as the O.J. Simpson case and the Mike Tyson/Robin Givens case.
The latter still fascinates the public. He was the heavy weight champion, a huge man. She was the thin, glamorous actress. And both are still alive to tell their versions of events.
Tyson, who has released a documentary about his life, appeared on Oprah last month, admitting now that it was an abusive relationship fraught with fights (See video), but still the former boxer seems not to see that it was never a fair fight. If Givens "socked" him and he "socked" her back, how could it be, unless, of course, Robin Givens had an AK-47 in her hands and was a crack shot?
At the time (the Barbara Walter's interview, ~1988), Mike sat at his wife's side, not saying a word. Now, he's ready to talk. (Now, 2009)
"I couldn't believe Robin Givens was saying those lies about me. … I was flabbergasted," he says. "When I look back at it now, I can't believe I sat there and didn't say anything. But then again, if I were to act crazy and start smashing and going crazy in front of television, that's what they would have wanted."
Robin's accusations made Mike furious. "At that particular moment, I truly wanted to sock her, but I just didn't do it. I was young at that time," he says. "I have socked her before, and she socked me before, as well. It was just that kind of relationship."
"You are a very big guy, so it would be hard for some woman to stand up against you physically," Oprah says. "Is there ever an instance where a woman deserves to be struck?"
"I don't know. … Women do kill people and hurt people too," he says. "I just know we're both human beings. … And we have to treat this human being a certain way just from a physical perspective. When I was in this marriage, I was wide open like a puppy dog. She could have done anything. I would have said: 'Okay. I love you still.'" (Tyson on Oprah)
Back near the end of the 80s as their marriage died under a spotlight, the young couple's story nearly split national opinion as much as the Brown/Rihanna incident has today. Some people hated Robin Givens. They said she was a gold digger after the champ's money. Even when I posted in March of this year at my blog on Givens's Larry King live appearance, someone dropped by to say he had inside information that Givens is "evil." I didn't post the incendiary comments supposedly from a former Tyson manager who wanted to remain anonymous.
In addition to these stories that capture the public eye, we may add the domestic violence alleged to have afflicted the Heenes, the family at the center of the reported balloon boy "hoax". Also, Mary Murphy, the bubbly judge from So You Think You Can Dance, recently spoke on Larry King Live and said she was once in a 9-year marriage in which her husband raped and beat her. And this just in yesterday, the wife of professional basketball player Delonte West has filed a domestic violence complaint against him.
I don't know much about West. However, the AP reports he suffers from bipolar disorder. Perhaps you'll hear something about his wife's allegations later because he's a sports star.
