Anyone else feel a bit sad for RV? Before we all revel in her downfall, I would like to reflect a little maybe…
RV is undoubtedly a deeply unpleasant person. She’s been spiteful, manipulative, callous, hurtful, jealous… we can only assume she’s ignored good advice to drop this whole thing and settle but didn’t out of arrogance or sheer stupidity.
I don’t think her going for Colleen is just about jealousy over having a more famous/successful husband. I think Colleen represents a lot of what life hasn’t given RV: colleen was born into working class reduced circumstances but sheer luck has propelled her into the limelight and wealth. RV has had to crawl her way up that greasy, grubby pole. Colleen also has a loving supportive family, whereas RV was sexually abused as a child and made homeless at 15. Her parents are divorced and her mother apparently didn’t believe her when she told her she’d been abused for 3 years as a child.
I’ve met/worked with people with childhoods like RV’s. It’s easy to sit back in judgement but the reality is, their choices are reduced and never easy.
they were born into traumatic circumstances and it’s a burden they are forced to carry that others arent. It impacts every waking moment. Some can heal and accept it and move on, they learn to live with the trauma and cope in a healthy way. But more often than not many numb the pain through substance abuse or abusive relationships. Many just “shut off” a part of themselves; the empathetic, kind part. The part that cares what people thinks, that’s rooted in reality. It’s as though they need to shut down those elements of themselves to survive and the result is the deeply unpleasant attributes we see in the likes of RV, or worse. It can be sociopathy or violent or abusive personalities.
seems to me as though RV decided that she’d find her worth and security via wealth and men. Attention perhaps provided her with a validation and sense of worth. One thing is for sure though, she’s surviving and not thriving. I don’t judge her for having children by different men; being sexually abused alongside poor parental modelling won’t provide a good framework for relationships. I don’t judge her for being cruel and unkind towards Colleen, because I can clearly seem that it comes from a place of deep pain for RV.
if anything I hope this court case is a eye opening for RV whatever the outcome. An eye opener as to why she is this kind of person and perhaps an incentive to change these toxic behaviours. I really believe childhood victims of abuse (no matter how unpleasant as adults) deserve compassion and sympathy.