Health and Body - Experts and Resources

What Rihanna Could Learn From Tina Turner

Posted to by Jill Brooke on Thu, 03/12/2009 - 9:56am

Rihanna needs to have a talk with Tina Turner.

A generation ago, Turner left her abusive husband, Ike Turner, and not only survived, but thrived. Indeed, in songs such as “What’s Love Got To Do With It?”, Turner was able to carve out a new future for herself as well as a stable relationship that has endured over 20 years. Her story also became a cautionary tale for other women and created a national dialogue on the realities of domestic abuse.

Rihanna’s problems are clearly deep-rooted, as are those of most abuse victims. As former special crimes prosecutor Linda Fairstein recently said, the reasons women stay with those that hit and beat them are not always understandable. But it seems that the outpouring of anger towards Rihanna’s boyfriend Chris Brown may be shaking her from a stupor.

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Chris Brown Charged With Assaulting Rihanna

brutal details of alleged abuse emerge

Posted to by Jill Brooke on Fri, 03/06/2009 - 11:23am

Rihanna may be back with Chris Brown, but that doesn't mean the police are going to back off in charging him with two felonies for roughing up his girlfriend on Grammy night. Although Brown issued a statement saying he was sorry and saddened by the incident and will seek help — and Rihanna's statement said she is "doing well" and is thankful for all the fan support — the law is now taking over.

Brown is going to have twist himself like a pretzel in making sure that Rihanna doesn't testify against him, though pictures do say a thousand words. TMZ got the original shot of the bruised singer, and those cuts and swollen eyes and lips tell the story. 
In fact, Fox 11 in Los Angeles along with TMZ have compiled compelling facts about the incident. 


This is what Fox 11 reported:


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Why Rihanna Reconciled With Chris Brown

The trappings of domestic abuse

Posted to by Jill Brooke on Wed, 03/04/2009 - 11:42am

After being allegedly beat up, Rihanna isn't invoking Aretha Franklin's lyric "You're Not Welcome Anymore" to Chris Brown, which is upsetting but not surprising.

After Brown left Rihanna so bruised that she couldn't perform on February 8th for the Grammys, any rational person would never see the creep again. Prior to this case, many falsely believed that those who stick with someone after physical abuse are only doing it because they are trapped — they don't have money, independence or a viable place to go.

But clearly Rihanna doesn't fit that profile. She's enormously successful and has the cash and cachet to go wherever she wants. But now the couple is reunited.

After the incident, Brown released a statement saying, "Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired" and noted that he was "seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones."

She forgave him. Why?

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2008: The Year in Divorce

Posted to by First Wives World on Thu, 12/25/2008 - 12:34am

The splits. The fits. The emotional pits. And all the couples who called it quits.

This past year had it all. Some stories touched us, others moved us, many angered us, and a few even tickled us.

After much culling and sifting, we narrowed it down to 20 of our top picks from 2008. We hope you enjoy this little look back as we prepare to move forward.

The Let’s-Just-Be-Friends Award
(Most Amicable Divorce)
 Robin Williams and Marsha Garces Williams

Talk about civil unions. No sooner had the couple announced their split after 19 years of marriage than they signed an official agreement stating "we commit ourselves to the collaborative divorce process and agree to seek a positive way to resolve our differences justly and equitably” — all for the sake of their two children. For those of you playing along at home, this is the way to go.

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Couple Divorces to Save Wife's Life

Posted to by Maureen Dempsey on Tue, 12/09/2008 - 1:06am

Although the above headline often (unfortunately) accompanies domestic abuse stories, this one's a bit different. Geneva Sharpe, 47, found herself in a life-threatening battle against advanced throat cancer, reports ABCnews.com.

When the Indiana resident was diagnosed, she faced a difficult surgery to remove her larynx. But with her husband's disability checks coming in regularly, the couple's combined income disqualified Geneva for full Medicaid coverage.

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Acne Grounds for Divorce

Posted to by Maureen Dempsey on Mon, 11/03/2008 - 11:04pm

An Indian man filed for divorce because he found his new bride's facial blemishes unbearable, according to The Times of India. In fact, he was so turned off that they never consummated the arranged marriage. He said she tried to hide her "condition," — that she attempted to fool him. (Reminder: This is a case of acne.)

The family court judge that presided over the case noted that although the women's acne was devastating for her, he was also sympathetic to the husband, for whom it must have been "traumatic." Sure, file this under "divorce news of the weird," and end of story, yes? No. It gets a bit stranger.

The man divorced his ex in 1998, and the court ruled the marriage was null and void in 2002. So why is this current day news? Because for the past six years, the woman has been fighting family court to have the negative remarks regarding her appearance expunged. In her own words:

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Domestic Violence and Jennifer Hudson's Tragedy

Posted to by Jill Brooke on Wed, 10/29/2008 - 4:20pm

Rosie O'Donnell never minces words. Part of the reason we love her, right? In supporting Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson, whose mother, brother and nephew were tragically murdered in Chicago, she blamed "guns and domestic violence."

In her blog, O'Donnell wrote, "Guns and domestic violence are a lethal combination — injuring and killing women every day in the United States. A gun is the weapon most commonly used in domestic homicides. In fact, more than three times as many women are murdered by guns used by their husbands or intimate acquaintances than are killed by strangers’ guns, knives or other weapons combined. Contrary to many public perceptions, many women who are murdered are killed not by strangers but by men they know."

Those men could be husbands, ex-husbands or even stepfathers.

She also cited these stats:

• Nearly one-third of all women murdered in the United States in recent years were murdered by a current or former intimate partner. In 2000, 1,247 women, more than three a day, were killed by their intimate partners.

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