Weddingbee boards

Does anyone else watch this show? I know, I know, it's trash. It was just a guilty pleasure for me but some really serious issues are getting played with in this show like it's some big joke. I take abuse pretty seriously and I'm kind of pissed about how it's being addressed on this show.

First of all, I don't really even believe Taylor. I think she's definitely embellishing, a lot. She looooved hinting to the abuse on the show, then all of a sudden she pretended she was scared of what Russell would do when Camille mentioned the abuse on camera. This was the first time somone other than Taylor mentioned it, but she brought it up herself tons of times. She was hammered approximately 100% of the time and every time she embarrassed herself and acted like an idiot she turned around and blamed it on how Russell treats her. I'm sure he was a total dick and it was awful to be married to him but she has absolutely no sense of responsibility for herself.

I just think it's kind of sick that this woman is getting lavished with the sympathy she adores so much, she's completely obsessed with looking like a victim. He killed himself and she couldn't get to the cameras fast enough to start describing stories of horrible abuse that can't be disproved. I can't imagine how detrimental her actions are to her in-laws and daughter as they try to mourn.

She claimed on the reunion that she wrote a memoir immediately after he died in order to save the hundreds of women who would die if she waited any longer to exploit his death for money. I think this is hugely harmful for women who truly are in abusive relationships. This woman is clearly and media hungry alcoholic with a victim complex, and she's made herself the face of domestic violence... and that worries me. There are so many women murdered, living in fear, or in prison for killing their abusers, and this woman is getting all this praise and attention for crying abuse after the man died. I feel like if she really gave two shits about other DV victims she would shut the hell up about herself and use those cameras to start sharing their stories and advocating for them. End rant.

@GroovyHippieChick:  I agree they seem to have an inappropriate relationship.

@abbie017:  I agree, it's not that I think she's lying, I just think she keeps telling more and more shocking stories and getting more and more sympathy while making no real change for other victims of DV. What may have started out as a sincere passion for helping these victims has quickly spiraled into a love of the camera and "tell-all" interviews.

This post is sickening. How do you know if it isn't true, if she is drunk " 100%" of the time or anything else? You dont unless you happen to BE her which I doubt. Mindsets such as yours OP is what keeps domestic violence victims from speaking up. Scared people won't believe them, will want some sort of hard proof, will mock them. She reached out to her friends off camera and was upset when it was brought on camera, understandably so. The normal person version of that would be the abused woman telling her friends, but if brought up in a way that could get back to her abuser she will lie or shut down completely for fear of what he will do to her for revealing the abuse. 

As a former victim of horrific domestic violence I will say my stomach literally turned reading this. 

@CallmeC:  She admitted being drunk, have you ever seen the show or read these interviews? The reason this bothers me so much is because I've been in an abusive situation myself and I hate to see someone getting rich and famous off of their abuse and taking no time to stop and help others in her position. She is plugging a book. That's what bothers me about her.

Never in my post did I ever say people who claim they're being abused need to prove themselves to get help. I have no respect for the fact that she's done nothing but villify this man who can't defend himself, and getting paid to do so. I can't imagine how that is helping victims speak out to be honest.

But I appreciate your input. I may just be more cynical of celebrities.

I did watch the whole season. During the season her friends were questioning her which I found in bad taste. Do I understand it? Yes I do. My friends couldn't wrap their minds around what was going on with me and found it easier to think I was exaggerating than to think I really was suffering that way. People who haven't been abused question the abused and say things such as " I would just leave, why don't you?" I get why that is where people's minds go, but it isn't that simple.

However this post is extremely mean spirited and frankly I have to wonder: what good does it do? Does it help a Bee who might be being abused want to speak out? Does it serve a purpose other than to speculate on something none of us know for sure? No it does none of that. It seriously put my stomach in a huge knot reading it, thinking of how it would make a timid, abused Bee feel. I feel like complete crap and I've been abuse free for over 4 years now. Like silly us, letting ourselves get abused. We don't deserve sympathy, understanding, compassion. I'm not saying I agree with everything Taylor Armstrong has done, but to sit here and judge how someone reacts to abuse is just...wrong. 

@nickels:  I've found that a lot of DV victims get mad when somone besides themself brings it up, I think this is why they usually distance themselves from their friends and family

Good point I hadn't thought of that, very true.

I don't doubt he was abusive, I don't know what happened physically but it was clear from the show he was basically unbearable to be around. The dislocated jaw story definitely confused me... how could no one see the swelling and the fact that she can't eat or talk or move her face? I just wish instead of using her 15 minutes of fame to be like "Oh and guess what ELSE he did..." she would be like "And here's the number to my hotline... here's a website I've started... here's a story of a woman I met who's serving a life sentence for shooting her husband when he had a knife to her throat and a petition to sign to help her get an appeal..."

@Moja Milosc:   How she is helping is by putting a very public face to the issue. I never watched until this season, but as I saw it go on the thought entered my mind more than once that something good WILL come from it. Millions of people watch the show and they have now seen abuse, the way it looks, how it affects people... that in and of itself is extremely positive. How many women will walk away from watching kyle and the other women struggle to be friends with Taylor knowing that hey maybe my friend whose husband is a jerk is actually being abused? or walk away with a better understanding for their friend who is deconstructing in front of them and how to be there for her?

I KNOW it has hit people because my best friend text me and said she was so sorry if she ever " pulled a camille" on me, that she thought shouting in front of everyone my abuse would make it go away. Something good has come out of it and hopefully more good will continue to come. Domestic violence can never have enough exposure. 

@CallmeC:  I also don't remember ever saying I think DV victims should just leave. I simply said I think the way she is conducting herself could actually be detrimental to other women who want to get out of their unhealthy relationships. Of course I don't think any victims should keep to themselves, and I appreciate you bringing that up because that certainly wasn't my intent. You seem to believe these interviews or her telling her story will help encourage others to get help. We have opposing views on this topic and hopefully you're right about it, because I hope women feel empowered to speak up and get help. I just do not think her actions are helping to empower women.

ETA: I do agree that the issue being brought up in the show could have been helpful in this regard, but she is going too far with making money on the situation and getting camera time for it and it's... unsettling to me. It's not that I don't think DV should be exposed, I just do not find this type of exposure helpful.

How exactly is someone finding the strength to not only leave but to speak out about their abuse detrimental? Please explain this. 

I didn't realize it would be so controversial to say that I don't like seeing someone make tons of money to bad mouth someone who has just recently passed away, regardless of what they claim the person has done. Their are more effective ways for her to use her position to help victims of DV, but she has chosen the most profitable and it has so many people questioning her rather than opening their eyes to the realities of DV. I never said "I know for a fact that she was never abused and I don't see why abuse victims don't just leave and if they stay they deserve it, and they should never tell anyone what is happening to them or get help" however, this is how some have chosen to read it.

Sorry I offended so many people, but reality show stars are letting cameras follow them around for a reason. We watch them and analyze their movements, and I have apparently analyzed someone off limits.

I know their lives are on TV for everyone to see but I don't really feel like it's the right of anyone to say they don't think she is telling the truth...I mean...we aren't her we don't know what she personally went through in her marriage. She did have a bruised eye that she tried to hide by sweeping her bangs to one side. I don't like to judge anyone and I definitely don't like to doubt someone if they are claiming to have gone through something traumatic. Clearly something wasn't right because all the other women knew details of their crazy relationship. I think she got so mad at Camille because Camille was the only person who outright said it in black and white. HE HITS YOU. Up until that point...they would ask or hint and there was never any concrete answers. I think she was scared of Russell. THats my .02 because I don't feel like we as women can question an instance of  DV. Regardless of her personality flaws etc, there's no reason for certain things to happen on the show if it wasn't true.