He was once one of the most talked about men in the United States, and in 2019 John Bobbitt's name is making headlines anew. Back in 1993, he became a media obsession after his ex-wife, Lorena Gallo Bobbitt (who now goes by Lorena Gallo), cut off his penis with a kitchen knife. That attack is about the only thing the former couple can agree on from that night. She claims he raped her and that she suffered from a bout of temporary insanity following years of physical and sexual abuse. He claims she lashed out because he was going to leave her and denied her sexual advances that night. Both of their stories have captivated millions, which is why more than 25 years later executive producer Jordan Peele is shining a light on Bobbitt and Gallo in a four-part docuseries for Amazon Prime titled Lorena. The series features commentary from both Bobbitt and Gallo in attempt to give a less sensationalized, fuller account of the events that led to the incident on June 23, 1993. It'll also give viewers a look at the lives they lead now.
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Today, Bobbitt lives in North Las Vegas and searches for treasure hidden by Forrest Fenn in the Rockies and pays the bills from the disability settlement he received after a 2014 car crash, according to an August 2018 story in Vanity Fair. Bobbitt told VF that he had a penile reduction surgery in 2016 to reverse some of the cosmetic work he'd gotten 20 years earlier. He supports President Trump and maintains his innocence.
"[Gallo] was never abused, she was always the abuser, and she cut off my penis because I was going to leave her," he claimed to The New York Times.
After three failed marriages and multiple domestic battery charges, Bobbitt is now single. Gallo told the Times that Bobbitt still sends her love letters and Valentines, despite the fact that she has expressed no interest in rekindling their relationship.
The docuseries will be the most camera time he's received in years; though, he's well-accustomed to the spotlight. After the 1993 events, Bobbitt became a regular guest on The Howard Stern Show, where he was treated with much more sympathy than Gallo. (According to the Times, Stern once said the following: "I don't even buy that [Bobbitt] was raping [Gallo.] She's not that great looking.") Later, he also performed in two adult films, John Wayne Bobbitt Uncut and Frankenpenis, under the direction of Ron Jeremy, and Buttman at Nudes a Poppin' 2 under the direction of John Stagliano.
And now that his side of the story is under the microscope as well, thanks to the docuseries, these XXX endeavors from the '90s don't seem so funny.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or TTY 1-800-787-3224 for confidential support.