John Wayne and Lorena Bobbitt's bizarre domestic violence story merged the tabloid and mainstream
press in an unprecedented way, with followers glued to the case in morbid fascination.
25 years later, the frenzied level of interest remains.
Here's what the infamous exes have been up to.
Bad employee
John released a few adult films in the '90s, and as he told The Daily Mail, it was really
a form of revenge against Lorena.
He explained,
"It was temporary, a novelty, more of a retaliation.
My wife hurt me and tried to ruin my life, so it was my way of saying it was just a scratch,
no big deal."
When his adult film career fizzled, John initially stayed in a similar line of work - kinda,
as ABC News reported.
Dennis Hof, owner of the infamous Bunny Ranch brothel, hired John to be a greeter, bartender
and handyman at the property for $50,000 a year, then fired him.
He explained,
"I tried pretty hard to help that guy out, but he really is a stupid, low-life creep.
[...] He is a nice, pleasant person — with absolutely no brain.
Even with everything he's gone through, he's still a boring oaf."
John then tried being part of a knife-throwing attraction in the Jim Rose Circus, but that
didn't work out, and his attempt at a stand-up comedy career reportedly bombed as well.
Quiet life
While John went out of his way to stay in the limelight for the better part of two decades,
Lorena has led a decidedly quieter life.
She goes by her maiden name, Lorena Gallo, and as she revealed on The Steve Harvey Show,
she's married to a true "gentleman" now.
On the rare occasions that Lorena does media appearances, she prefers to focus on her activism
rather than her acquittal, and speaks about her Lorena's Red Wagon program and Lorena
Gallo Foundation, which works with abused women and children.
"I wanted to bring hope to these children, to these women, of domestic abuse, and that's
the things that I do."
Disturbing pattern
John's criminal history didn't end with Lorena.
In May 1994, just months after his and Lorena's own acquittals, The Washington Post reported
that John was arrested for allegedly bruising then-fiancee Kristina Elliott's arm and shoving
her into a wall in their apartment.
In early September 1994, The New York Times reported that John served 15 days in prison
for allegedly striking Elliott in another altercation.
In 1999, John was charged with attempted grand larceny, The Las Vegas Sun reported, after
he allegedly tried stealing $140,000 worth of clothing from a store, he was sentenced
to five years probation.
In 2002, CNN reported that Bobbitt was again arrested for domestic battery after allegedly
pushing his third wife, Joanna Ferrell, to the ground, causing a broken tailbone and
finger.
In 2006, Bobbitt acknowledged his history of domestic drama when he was acquitted of
yet another domestic battery charge related to Ferrell.
He told the court,
"I've always had a problem with judgment, particularly when it comes to women."
Lorena's altercation
While John has a troubling rap sheet, Lorena has one too, though it's a much shorter one.
She was charged with assault and battery in December 1997, The Washington Post reported,
after an alleged physical altercation with her mother that included, quote, "shoving,
hair-pulling and biting."
Her mother reportedly went to a neighbor's home and claimed her daughter had repeatedly
punched her.
Lorena was cleared of any charges after her mother changed her story and told the court
that her facial injuries were essentially from a giant zit.
The judge in the case said of his ruling,
"If you asked me if I think she's guilty, I'd say yes, [but] I have reasonable doubt,
so I'll find her not guilty."
#MeToo
John appeared in a spread for The Daily Mail sporting a "Trump 2020" hat, and he rocks
Trump-supporting license plates on his vehicles.
Meanwhile, Lorena supported Hillary Clinton in 2016 presidential election, according to
Vanity Fair, and has become a symbol of the #MeToo movement.
Her allegations that John sexually assaulted and abused her make her potentially a more
sympathetic character than ever, which led to the Amazon docuseries from Get Out director
Jordan Peele called Lorena.
Lorena said in a press release for the series,
"On the 25th anniversary of this incident, and as awareness continues to increase surrounding
violence against women, I look forward to the opportunity to tell aspects of my story
that haven't yet been told, and that I hope will give some measure of support to other
victims of this horrible epidemic."
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