Oksana Grigorieva: Protecting Her Child or Extorting Money?
July 16, 2010 by Cathy Meyer
Filed under cathymeyer, Celebs & News, More Topics
No doubt you’ve heard the disturbing tapes of Mel Gibson verbally abusing Oksana Grigorieva. According to Oksana, Gibson became physically abusive in January of this year. RadarOnline.com released a photo today of Oksana’s injuries as a result of Gibson hitting her in the mouth while holding their child.
Some in the media are trying to second guess Oksana’s reasons for not filing a domestic abuse charge at the time of the incident. Some people find it quite curious that a woman would not call the police and even more curious that she has now chosen to release the disturbing tapes of Gibson’s tirade.
Those second guessing her motives are doing so because they have never been in the shoes of an abused person. Why didn’t Oksana call the police in January when the abuse took place? I can’t speak for her but I can speak for other women who’ve been in the same situation and there are a number of reasons a woman does not call the police.
- Love
- Fear
- Shame
- Low Self-esteem
- Finances
Only Oksana knows why she didn’t call the police. The sad fact is that her reaction to his abuse is not abnormal.
Why has she now released the tapes?
More than likely she has realized what she is up against in a custody battle with Mel Gibson. Oksana had filed a restraining order asking for temporary custody of their child. Whether she gets what she requests from the courts is up to a Family Court Judge.
If you’ve been in Family Court you know that a judge has great discretion when handing down an order. Unless you can prove that your child is in danger a judge will more than likely not deny a mother or father access to the child.
From what I’ve heard on the tapes I’m of the opinion that Mel Gibson isn’t fit, at this time to parent any child. For Oksana to prove that he is a danger to not only her and himself but the child also she had to prove to a judge that the situations was extreme.
Releasing the tapes has done that. This is a mother tying to protect her child. Not a woman trying to extort money as some have suggested. She is battling an emotionally fragile man who is wealthy and well known. Her chances of protecting her child via the Family Court System were small when going up against Mel Gibson.
If you’ve been there you know what I’m talking about. In Family Court the person with the money, the one who can hire the expensive divorce attorney prevails in court. In her shoes I would have released the tapes also. He has money but she has something far more damaging.
In this case you have the Family Court System and the court of public opinion. The outrage over the Gibson tapes will influence how a judge rules in this case. Mel may have money and status but he can’t go up against the Family Court System AND the court of public opinion.
I imagine Oksana knew this and to protect her child has used it in her favor. I wouldn’t hesitate to do the same.
More Articles:
Growing Up and Growing Apart I
Growing Up and Growing Apart II
Parental Alienation: Turning the Kids Against the Ex
Mel’s ex wife has released a statement saying that Mel was a good husband and father during their marriage. I have to question whether or not she is being truthful.
She is probably still in love with Mel…one of the reasons people hang around for more abuse. I don’t buy that what we’ve seen from Mel in the last few years didn’t also happen in the home she shared with him.
Not unless she was very good at walking on eggshells and doing everything in her power not to piss him off. And who knows, maybe she is a very passive person who avoids conflict.
It would take someone like that to make a marriage with him or someone like him work. Just my opinion!
I can understand how she feels and what she is doing. I’ve been where she is. When someone you love explodes and assaults you with words and fists it destroys everything you thought was true.
I lived with it for as long as I did because I kept bargaining with myself. I kept believing him when he would tell me it wouldn’t happen again. He could be very gentle and loving and that is the part that kept me hanging in.
Leaving was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Letting go of the hope that he would change meant letting go of him and I loved him. It is very hard to walk away from someone you love no matter what they have done to you.
I didn’t leave until it was clear that his anger was turning toward our daughter. I couldn’t leave to save myself but I would do anything to save her.
I don’t think she wants his money. I think she just wants to keep her kid safe.
The rage in his voice, the words he said, the degrading nature of his words, the craziness I feel emanating from him in those tapes is not unfamiliar to me.
I’m a survivor of domestic abuse and know all to well how scary it is to be on the other end of a conversation like on those tapes. I’m sure that was not the first time he had talked to her that way, just the first time he got caught.
I heard earlier tonight that the judge ruled in his favor in court today. He will continue to have unsupervised visitation with the daughter and sleepover once a week.
Sad what a person can get away with when they have fame and fortune on their side.