Getty Lorena Bobbitt Then & Now
Amazon has released a short documentary series called Lorena that revisits the Lorena Bobbitt/John Wayne Bobbitt story and trial that made national headlines in the 1990s. But where is Lorena Bobbitt today? She now goes by Lorena Gallo.
First, a little background on what happened. On June 23, 1993 in Virginia, Lorena said that her then-husband, John Wayne Bobbitt, raped her. Later that night, after he fell asleep, she got a kitchen knife and cut off his penis. She threw the appendage into a field and called 911. After a nine-and-a-half hour operation, John’s penis was reattached and saved. That night, Lorena was arrested and told police in a recorded transcript that John was “selfish” about their sex life. During the trial, she said that John physically, emotionally, and sexually abused her, cheated on her, and forced her to have an abortion. Her attorneys said the abuse caused her to snap, and she may have suffered PTSD from the abuse. John denied the allegations.
GettyLorena Bobbitt in 1994
Lorena was found not guilty due to insanity. She was released after a 45-day evaluation at Central State Hospital. Lorena has said that it wasn’t a nice place to be, but it was nice to get away from the media for a while, Huffington Post shared.
John was later acquitted of rape.
For many years, Lorena stayed out of the spotlight after the trial. She now goes by Lorena Gallo, which is her maiden name.
GettyLorena Gallo and Jordan Peele at the Lorena premiere in 2019.
In December 1997, she was charged with assault after punching her mother, Elvia Gallo, The New York Times reported. At the time she was living with her parents. Lorena was arrested at a friend’s house and her mom suffered minor injuries. She was found not guilty of assault. Since the trial, she has worked as a hair stylist and a real estate agent, according to Oprah.com.
In 2007, Lorena founded Lorena’s Red Wagon to help prevent domestic abuse. The organization is now called the Lorena Gallo Foundation. The organization works with community groups to help domestic violence victims. They help facilitate toy drives, food drives, and more.
In 2008, Lorena appeared on The Early Show. She said she was in a serious relationship with a man named David Bellinger and they had a daughter.
In May 2009, Lorena and John both appeared on The Insider together, which was their first time to meet face-to-face since they divorced. John admitted to still sending Lorena Valentine’s cards, apologized, and said he still loved her.
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Today, Lorena lives in Gainesville, Virginia, NBC Washington reported. She still runs Lorena’s Red Wagon (aka the Lorena Gallo Foundation), and Lorena she works as a licensed cosmetologist.
She and longtime partner Dave Bellinger are still together, although they never married, and are happily raising their daughter Olivia, Huffington Post shared. Lorena still runs her foundation and each year, she collects gifts for children who are in domestic violence shelters. Her daughter helps her deliver them.
GettyExecutive Producer Jordan Peele and Head of Amazon Studios Jennifer Salke and Lorena Gallo attend the ‘Lorena’ Premiere during the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.
Lorena told CBS News about Bellinger: “He’s my best friend and he is a good father. Before, when I was young, when I was married, I was really naive and young, I didn’t know what I wanted.”
Lorena told Huffington Post that staying positive is what has helped her. She used to ask “Why me?,” but later realized it happens to many women, and she just happened to be one of them. “I’m not in the fight by myself,” she said. “I’m in it for all women who have been victimized or will be victimized.”