Lorena Bobbitt, 15 Years Later

A New Job, A New Man, And Focus On Helping Others

(CBS)  It was the cut heard round the world.

Exactly 15 years ago this week the world first heard the story of John Wayne and Lorena Bobbitt. John Wayne, an ex-Marine, was accused of coming home drunk and raping his wife. Lorena was accused of retaliating by cutting off her husband's penis while he was asleep.

Lorena went from anonymous to notorious - her story the subject of countless newspaper and magazine articles. Now in her first ever network morning show interview she discusses how she's using her notoriety to help others.

"All of a sudden, my private life is out in the open and it's an open book and a lot of people know my history," she told The Early Show "Sometimes I couldn't even go to the grocery store to buy food because I would be recognized."

Today, the once shy native of Ecuador who barely spoke English is a confident 39-year-old who works as a real estate agent and next month gets her hairdressing license.

"My self esteem is a lot better than it was years ago. I grew a lot," she said. "I learned to cope with this. I cannot have myself with a blanket over my head and not to live, might as well go into the mountains and forget everybody. I had to make a choice so I just said 'Hey, I have to keep going, this is my life.'"

Lorena is now a mother to two-and-a-half-year-old Olivia - and in case you're wondering, yes, there is a man - fiancé Dave Bellinger.

"We've been together for 14 years and he's just wonderful," she said. "He's my best friend and he is a good father. Before, when I was young, when I was married, I was really naïve and young, I didn't know what I wanted."

While Lorena has stayed out of the spotlight since a jury found her not guilty by reason of temporary insanity - ex husband John Wayne has sought it out - making numerous TV appearances and starring in several highly publicized adult films.

"That kind of did bother me that he was, you know, going up and trying to make money off a tragedy and you know that was a tragedy. I mean if he doesn't consider it a tragedy then he's wrong," she said.

John Wayne has also had several brushes with the law including a 2003 domestic violence conviction.

"I hope that he's definitely seeking help. If he needs help because he does need help, you know, he keeps on abusing women and I'm working on my goal and I'm trying to focus on my life and I do have a new life," she said.

The focus of her new life is Lorena's Red Wagon - an organization which provides funds to abused women in shelters who seek mental health counseling.

"They've gone through a lot, and I know that," she said. "Who knows that better than me?"

She hopes one day to open her own shelter and prevent women from making the same mistakes she did.

"Don't ever take the law into your own hands. No, never," she said. "Because take that from me, that's the advice that I give, don't take the law into your hands - it's not good."

Lorena and John Wayne Bobbitt divorced in 1995 after six years of marriage. She said that she hasn't spoken to him since.

[txgrouch2004]

Advice for David: KEEP THE KNIVES LOCKED UP at night.

Let''s see - together 14 years, they have a 2 year old - and he''s still her FIANCE???

What''s up with that...

[hypnotoad72]

Right. When she talks about sliced pepperoni on her pizza, think about getting a Carrara belt as soon as possible...

[guysdigdirt]

Let''''s see - together 14 years, they have a 2 year old - and he''''s still her FIANCE???

What''''s up with that...
Posted by txgrouch2004

Judging by all that has happened since that knife, I mean night... seems John Wayne was the pprick in the situation and he has gone on to prove he was a read ddick.

[feelfree4u]

Re: "A New Job, A New Man, And Focus On Helping Others"

Sure. Keep the tip.

[obama4janito]

Too bad Hillary Clinton didn''t have the brains and guts to do this, otherwise she''d be the Democratic nominee by now.

Lorena got it, Hil''s still a cuckolded shrill shrew, and she can''t even fight Stepin'' at the convention.

[kevzgrl]

I don''t think I would want her anywhere near me with scissors or other sharp objects - you never know when she might just "snap" again...
I agree, Dave, I''d keep the cutlery locked up...

[summarex]

I hope they haven''t awarded her citizenship as well!

[ddkem]

I''m glad she spoke up. She did what a lot of women wish they had done! Go Lorena :-)

[runningralph]

This lady was and still is my heroine. I wish she could counsel Muslim women before they get honor murdered. Or Indian women before they are murdered for their dowry.

[kennergirl]

You are a brave man Dave! Even though Bobbitt seems to be a complete and total jerk I would imagine another man would be a bit hesitant hooking up with Lorena.

[voxpopulus]

"This lady was and still is my heroine." That would make you a bit of a sad case. Would you also make a hero of a man who cut off a woman''s breast, WHATEVER the provocation?

[joan1v]

This women should have been sent to Prison. What she did was so wrong in so many ways.

[oneworldusa]

Is she still going by the name, Bobbit? Ya, she bobbed it alright!

Still, one more good reason to quit allowing immigration. JW Bobbit thought he could get himself a slave to his desires. She showed him.

[keithle1]

Think twice before your marry the "love of your life," gents. Don''t have any contact with them for a year. No calls, emails, letters. Nothing. See how you manage.

There are worse things than being alone.

Ever seen a poor divorce lawyer?

[rednek1947]

I heard she was injured in an auto accident the other day. She got cut off by some d i c k.

[patriot12436]

Some of you are probably not familiar with the case. She suffered a lot of abuse before this happened. I am glad she ahs moved on and now has a positive message for others.

[thisandthat1]

Her husband looks tired ... probably hasn''t slept a wink in 14 years!

[patriot12436]

txgrouch2004
After what trauma she has been thru i am sure she is overly cautious about committing again.

[patriot12436]

None of you are commenting on the abuse by her ex husband. Or how he has abused other women, made porn films, got ordained as a minister and still abused other women. How he made money off of this incident.

[hypnotoad72]

None of you are commenting on the abuse by her ex husband. Or how he has abused other women, made porn films, got ordained as a minister and still abused other women. How he made money off of this incident.

Posted by patriot12436
------------------------

Some of us didn''t know that or took the time to read the article because, let''s face it, *** sells. Even the truncated version...

[formrusmcsgt]

After 14 years and a baby, he''s STILL a fiancee''?

Hilarious.

[txgrouch2004]

patriot12436 wrote
she is overly cautious about committing again.
-------------------
But she didn''t mind HAVING A CHILD.

Isn''t THAT a commitment? Or do you consider that an accessory???

[txgrouch2004]

patriot12436 objected
None of you are commenting on the abuse by her ex husband.
---------------------
That''s only because the article is about HER, not HIM.

They''re both dingbats. Rest assured, if the article was about him we''d be making just as many disparaging comments about him.

[patriot12436]

txgrouch2004
SAs to committment or accesory, i guess that would depend on who yoiur asking. I always felt it was a committment, but i can only decide for myself.

[patriot12436]

txgrouch2004
That has never stopped polsters before from making comments

[dmotte]

Why shouldn''t he make money, it was his *** that was cut off. That bit-h is just jealous because she didn''t have the brains to cash in on the incident.That is a stupid woman for you.

[shanev137]

She should have been behind bars this whole time.

[patriot12436]

Bottom line, it sounds like she has a new life and is secure, what is her ex doing now ? Haven''t heard anything about him in a long time.

[patriot12436]

I think it is too bad they found it and sewed it back on.

[patriot12436]

magicmerlin8
John Wayne made some geat movies and some great quotes in the movies. I like the real quotes from life, like Thomas Jefferson made about the Constitution.

[haoli25]

That''s a woman that is very lucky to be alive.

[tbweb]

Her new guy must don''t have one, how could a guy sleep comfortably next to her after that, especially after an argument!? lol

[josebcruz]

She says do not take the law into your own hands. That''s exactly what she did and got away with it. No one should physically abuse anyone. This B should be in jail. Ecuadorian woman are psychos anyway. i know too many of them and most lean in that direction.

tbweb, you must don''t have an education either....good grief, read a book or something. One without pictures would help.

[american30]

I think he is lucky to be alive some women would have killed him! And who could blame them. It was her body not his you men who are posting on here think you can do anything well grow up this is the US if you want to rape women and have total control over them go to another Country.

american30, you go girl...I could never in my wildest dream think of doing something to a woman that didn''t want it.

[faith_in_w]

Oh look, its that dingdong. The one who feminists look up to because she snips off mens privates with scissors.

[toldyouso12]

Let''''''''s see - together 14 years, they have a 2 year old - and he''''''''s still her FIANCE???

What''''''''s up with that...
Posted by txgrouch2004

She probably is calling her lover her fiance because that would sound more respectable than saying she had a child out of wedlock and is cohabiting with a man. That may sound old fashioned--but Lorena is from Ecuador. More than likely she is a devout Catholic and so, would want to infer as much legitimacy on her relationship with the kid''s father as she can.

If what she said about her previous husband is true, then she may not want to be married again and may be gun shy. Women who have been in abusive marriages and have felt captive to a man often do not want to put themselves in that situation again, if they ever get the self esteem to help themselves. Congratulations to Lorena. Rape might not be as viable an option for men, if they knew their victims typical stance would be to fight back and either castrate or kill the perp. Men rape because they can--and those who make the laws governing rape are more lenient--because most are men. Good for Lorena--guess it worked in her favor; that she only cut it off and did not grind it up and ram it down his own throat.

[trishab4]

The question is; Did her ex-husband''s peenis regrow 15 years later???? LOL!

[godseyesore-2009]

She''s got knifes..and she knows how to use them.

[shazam96]

I am sending lorena bobbitt for underdugus and nopacifism....for some chop chop.....lol.

[harpoot]

Ha ha. Tubesteak Bobbitt surfaces again. LOL

godseyesore, knives no knifes you moron....

[luvny-2009]

The guy was drunk and raped her! Mr tough guy x Marine. I was in guest housing on a Marine base for several weeks. EVERY night some marine was bouncing his wife or GF off the wall. Someone would call it in and they just came and said quiet down. Too many mental marines, bet there are many reading this that could tell stories of abuse from them.

[timothyone-2009]

She brought some real sickness to the surface of my personality. What she did was awful, and scary as hell to me, but at the time all I could think about was how fun it would be to pork the *** little demon.

[tbweb]

tbweb, you must don''t have an education either....good grief, read a book or something. One without pictures would help.

Posted by mitchoncbs at 09:00 AM : Jun 26, 2008,,,

Under no circumstances should anyone take the law into their own hands, we have a legal process, you obviously agree with what she did, it was a novelty, it made news world wide, but it was still sick and she should have served serious time for doing it because a) she use a weapon and b) she was in no imminent danger when she did it and c) it was premeditated. No need to read any books or have an advanced education to understand that. I don''t agree with what she did and why are we revisiting the issue 15 years later anyway?

[jellydonot]

How will history remember Lorena Bobbit? Fierce feminist or just a tabloid hero from the nineties? What do you think? vote:
http://www.pollsb.com/polls/poll/17107/how-will-history-remember-lorena-bobbitt

[hbevis]

IT SEEMS THAT I REMEMBER THAT WHAT SHE DID IS WHAT THEY DO IN ECUADOR TO A HUSBAND THAT CHEATS, ETC ON HIS WIFE.

ITS BEEN PRETTY MUCH ESTABLISHED THAT HE IS NOTHING MORE THAT A SCUM BAG. AND HAS BEEN IN TROUBLE WITH THE LAW IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.

SHE COULD HAVE FED IT TO THE DOG. THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED A FEW YEARS AGO TO MAN THAT WANTED TO BE A WOMAN. HIM AND HIS GIRL/BOY FRIEND CUT IT OFF AND DID FEED IT TO THEIR DOG...(lol) THAT HURTS TO THINK ABOUT IT..

WITH BOBBITT IT WAS FOUND AND THEY HAD IT REATTACHED.
AT THE TIME I ASKED MY DOCTOR IF HE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD WORK? HE SAID "I DON''T KNOW, BUT I DON''T WANT TO TRY IT".....!

[cheetah-man7]

John Bobbit is a complete loser. I remember when this was all happening and I think it was about that time that I lost total respect for our Marines. They appear noble, but in reality too many of them are brain-washed morons. I am glad for Lorena and hope that John gets some much-needed help!

[cheetah-man7]

A bunch of friends had rented that "adult" movie that John starred in. I was not impressed. Much too small and much too soft. If he had any honour, he would have been humiliated!