Todd Haynes’ impeccable character drama May December is getting a DVD and Blu-ray release in the UK. More details below.
In a just world, May December would have been a bigger awards contender. Todd Haynes’ stylish, addictive drama was as funny as it was disturbing. The Oscars did nominate Samy Burch’s rather brilliant script, but ultimately, the film went home empty-handed.
Starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton, May December was loosely based on the true story of Mary Kay Letournau, an American teacher who at 34 years old sexually abused her 12-year-old student, Vili Fualaau, ultimately having two kids with him and marrying him.
May December is getting a DVD and Blu-ray release in the UK and will be released on the 20th May. You can pre-order it right here.
In the film, Moore plays the almost childlike Gracie who is married to Joe (Charles Melton),13 years her junior.
In a just world, May December would have been a bigger awards contender. Todd Haynes’ stylish, addictive drama was as funny as it was disturbing. The Oscars did nominate Samy Burch’s rather brilliant script, but ultimately, the film went home empty-handed.
Starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton, May December was loosely based on the true story of Mary Kay Letournau, an American teacher who at 34 years old sexually abused her 12-year-old student, Vili Fualaau, ultimately having two kids with him and marrying him.
May December is getting a DVD and Blu-ray release in the UK and will be released on the 20th May. You can pre-order it right here.
In the film, Moore plays the almost childlike Gracie who is married to Joe (Charles Melton),13 years her junior.
- 4/22/2024
- by Maria Lattila
- Film Stories
This post contains spoilers for "The Iron Claw."
Of all the characters in the wrestling biopic "The Iron Claw," it's patriarch Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany) who comes out looking the worst. As his sons slowly but surely fall apart in their pursuit of wrestling (and their pursuit of their father's approval), Fritz is right there egging them on, pushing them further and further toward the brink.
Although the real-life Kevin Von Erich still considers his father to have been an "honorable, good man," the rest of the world considers Fritz to be a bit of a villain, holding him at least a little bit to blame for three of his sons (not just two like in the movie) dying by suicide, and a fourth dying from the stress wrestling and drugs put on his body. The movie itself follows along with this view, giving us a Fritz who pushes forth a limited,...
Of all the characters in the wrestling biopic "The Iron Claw," it's patriarch Fritz Von Erich (Holt McCallany) who comes out looking the worst. As his sons slowly but surely fall apart in their pursuit of wrestling (and their pursuit of their father's approval), Fritz is right there egging them on, pushing them further and further toward the brink.
Although the real-life Kevin Von Erich still considers his father to have been an "honorable, good man," the rest of the world considers Fritz to be a bit of a villain, holding him at least a little bit to blame for three of his sons (not just two like in the movie) dying by suicide, and a fourth dying from the stress wrestling and drugs put on his body. The movie itself follows along with this view, giving us a Fritz who pushes forth a limited,...
- 1/21/2024
- by Michael Boyle
- Slash Film
Julianne Moore and Charles Melton in May December, Jeremy Strong in Succession, Imelda Staunton in The CrownImage: Courtesy of Netflix, Courtesy of HBO
The SAG Awards unveiled their nominations this morning, honoring actors across film and television. While the lists were fairly predictable (and heavy on the awards-bait style biopics...
The SAG Awards unveiled their nominations this morning, honoring actors across film and television. While the lists were fairly predictable (and heavy on the awards-bait style biopics...
- 1/10/2024
- by Drew Gillis and Emma Keates
- avclub.com
Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore both responded to Vili Fualaau’s criticism of May December on Sunday, emphasizing the movie was not meant to tell the exact story of his relationship with ex Mary Kay Letourneau.
“It’s not based on them,” Portman told Entertainment Tonight from the red carpet at the 2024 Golden Globes. “Obviously their story influenced the culture that we all grew up in and influenced the idea. But it’s fictional characters that are really brought to life by Julianne Moore and Charles Melton so beautifully.”
May December tells the story of fictional actress Elizabeth Berry (Portman) sent to visit married couple Gracie (Moore) and Joe (Melton). Gracie met and victimized Joe when he was 13, doing time in prison for child rape before being released and marrying Joe. The two share three children, one of whom she gave birth to while in prison. Screenwriter Samy Burch has...
“It’s not based on them,” Portman told Entertainment Tonight from the red carpet at the 2024 Golden Globes. “Obviously their story influenced the culture that we all grew up in and influenced the idea. But it’s fictional characters that are really brought to life by Julianne Moore and Charles Melton so beautifully.”
May December tells the story of fictional actress Elizabeth Berry (Portman) sent to visit married couple Gracie (Moore) and Joe (Melton). Gracie met and victimized Joe when he was 13, doing time in prison for child rape before being released and marrying Joe. The two share three children, one of whom she gave birth to while in prison. Screenwriter Samy Burch has...
- 1/9/2024
- by Zoe G Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore are speaking out after Vili Fualaau slammed their new movie May December.
Vili, 40, recently called the new Todd Haynes-directed movie a “ripoff” of his real-life relationship with the late Mary Kay Letourneau.
In May December, Charles Melton‘s character Joe was 13 when he was seduced by Julianne‘s 36-year-old character. Vili was 12 when 34-year-old Mary Kay first victimized him in 1996. She later pleaded guilty to two counts of child rape.
Vili said that he was “offended” by the movie and slammed everyone involved for not reaching out to him for feedback.
Now, Natalie and Julianne are addressing Vili‘s criticism.
“I’m so sorry to here that. It’s not based on them,” Natalie told Entertainment Tonight at the 2024 Golden Globes. “Obviously, their story influenced the culture that we all grew up in and influenced the idea. But it’s fictional characters that are...
Vili, 40, recently called the new Todd Haynes-directed movie a “ripoff” of his real-life relationship with the late Mary Kay Letourneau.
In May December, Charles Melton‘s character Joe was 13 when he was seduced by Julianne‘s 36-year-old character. Vili was 12 when 34-year-old Mary Kay first victimized him in 1996. She later pleaded guilty to two counts of child rape.
Vili said that he was “offended” by the movie and slammed everyone involved for not reaching out to him for feedback.
Now, Natalie and Julianne are addressing Vili‘s criticism.
“I’m so sorry to here that. It’s not based on them,” Natalie told Entertainment Tonight at the 2024 Golden Globes. “Obviously, their story influenced the culture that we all grew up in and influenced the idea. But it’s fictional characters that are...
- 1/9/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Todd Haynes' "May December" is a tricky, difficult drama that tells a fictionalized version of the Mary Kay LeTourneau story. Some may recall that LeTourneau, a sixth-grade teacher, was arrested in 1997 for having targeted and statutorily assaulted 12-year-old Vili Fualaau. LeTourneau had two children with Lualaau, and when she was released from prison, the two married. They remained married for 14 years. In "May December," the LeTourneau-inspired character was renamed Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianna Moore), and her much younger husband, 34 at the time of the movie, was renamed Joe Yoo (Charles Melton).
Haynes' film follows a famous actor named Elizabeth Barry (Natalie Portman), who has taken a job playing Gracie in an upcoming drama. Elizabeth spends several weeks observing Gracie, imitating her mannerisms, and interviewing the people in her life. Why, Elizabeth wonders, did Gracie commit her terrible crime? How does Joe feel about it so many years later, still married to his victimizer?...
Haynes' film follows a famous actor named Elizabeth Barry (Natalie Portman), who has taken a job playing Gracie in an upcoming drama. Elizabeth spends several weeks observing Gracie, imitating her mannerisms, and interviewing the people in her life. Why, Elizabeth wonders, did Gracie commit her terrible crime? How does Joe feel about it so many years later, still married to his victimizer?...
- 1/8/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The 2023 Netflix film “May December” is fictional, but draws heavily on the real-life story of teacher Mary Kay Letourneau and her notorious affair with her sixth-grade student Vili Fualaau. According to Fualaau, the filmmakers behind the production never reached out to him during its production, he told The Hollywood Reporter.
“If they had reached out to me, we could have worked together on a masterpiece,” Fualaau said. “Instead, they chose to do a ripoff of my original story.”
While not claiming to be a true story, the film draws heavily on the Letourneau case and the screenwriter has noted that story served as her inspiration. Dialogue in one of the film’s pivotal scenes was pulled directly from a televised interview with Letourneau and Fualaau.
“I’m offended by the entire project and the lack of respect given to me — who lived through a real story and is still living it,...
“If they had reached out to me, we could have worked together on a masterpiece,” Fualaau said. “Instead, they chose to do a ripoff of my original story.”
While not claiming to be a true story, the film draws heavily on the Letourneau case and the screenwriter has noted that story served as her inspiration. Dialogue in one of the film’s pivotal scenes was pulled directly from a televised interview with Letourneau and Fualaau.
“I’m offended by the entire project and the lack of respect given to me — who lived through a real story and is still living it,...
- 1/5/2024
- by Mike Roe
- The Wrap
The late Mary Kay Letourneau‘s former partner Vili Fualaau is reacting to May December.
In the Todd Haynes movie, Natalie Portman plays Elizabeth Berry, an actress researching a married couple with a scandalous past similar to the real-life case of the former teacher and student.
Screenwriter Samy Burch cited the case as her inspiration. However, no one involved in the production apparently reached out to Vili, who inspired Charles Melton‘s Joe Yoo.
Keep reading to find out more…
In the movie, Joe is 13 when he is seduced by Julianne Moore’s 36-year-old character. Vili was 12 when 34-year-old Mary Kay Letourneau first victimized him in 1996. She later pleaded guilty to two counts of child rape.
Vili has seen May December and came away deeply dismayed at what he believes is another example of Hollywood and the media exploiting his story and pain, via THR.
“I’m still alive and well,...
In the Todd Haynes movie, Natalie Portman plays Elizabeth Berry, an actress researching a married couple with a scandalous past similar to the real-life case of the former teacher and student.
Screenwriter Samy Burch cited the case as her inspiration. However, no one involved in the production apparently reached out to Vili, who inspired Charles Melton‘s Joe Yoo.
Keep reading to find out more…
In the movie, Joe is 13 when he is seduced by Julianne Moore’s 36-year-old character. Vili was 12 when 34-year-old Mary Kay Letourneau first victimized him in 1996. She later pleaded guilty to two counts of child rape.
Vili has seen May December and came away deeply dismayed at what he believes is another example of Hollywood and the media exploiting his story and pain, via THR.
“I’m still alive and well,...
- 1/4/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Vili Fualaau, ex-husband of Mary Kay Letourneau in statutory rape case, says he is disappointed film-makers did not approach him
Vili Fualaau, the ex-husband of Mary Kay Letourneau in a tabloid-famous statutory rape case, has spoken out against a critically acclaimed film inspired by the scandal.
May December, an awards season contender released by Netflix, tells the story of an actor, Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman), who observes the relationship between Gracie (Julianne Moore) and her husband, Joe Yoo (Charles Melton), whom she seduced when she was 36 and he was 13. The film is loosely based on the real-life events of Mary Kay Letourneau, a 34-year-old teacher who victimized her 12-year-old student, Vili Fualaau, in 1996, becoming a tabloid fixture.
Vili Fualaau, the ex-husband of Mary Kay Letourneau in a tabloid-famous statutory rape case, has spoken out against a critically acclaimed film inspired by the scandal.
May December, an awards season contender released by Netflix, tells the story of an actor, Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman), who observes the relationship between Gracie (Julianne Moore) and her husband, Joe Yoo (Charles Melton), whom she seduced when she was 36 and he was 13. The film is loosely based on the real-life events of Mary Kay Letourneau, a 34-year-old teacher who victimized her 12-year-old student, Vili Fualaau, in 1996, becoming a tabloid fixture.
- 1/4/2024
- by Adrian Horton
- The Guardian - Film News
Vili Fualaau, who married his sixth-grade teacher, Mary Kay Letourneau, says he’s upset by filmmaker Todd Haynes’ new film, May December, which drew inspiration from Fualaau and Letourneau’s story. The movie, which stars Julianne Moore as the Letourneau-esque Gracie and Charles Melton as her young husband, Joe Yoo, depicts the couple dodging media exploitation at the hands of an actress played by Natalie Portman after Gracie served time for seducing Yoo when she was 36 and he was 13. In reality, Letourneau was 34, and Fualaau was 12 when they began their sexual relationship.
- 1/4/2024
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
“May December” inspiration Vili Fualaau is speaking out about being portrayed in Todd Haynes’ awards season powerhouse, and he’s not happy.
The film draws loose but obvious inspiration from the infamous 1990s scandal in which Mary Kay Letourneau, then 34, victimized 12-year-old Fualaau, leading to her eventually pleading guilty to two counts of child rape. A few details have been changed for the film: in real life, Letourneau was a sixth-grade teacher and Fualaau was her student, whereas in the movie Julianne Moore’s character Gracie Atherton-Yoo worked at a pet shop where she preyed on her 13-year-old colleague, Joe (Charles Melton).
But these slightly altered details aside, as well as the “May December” largely avoiding discussing the real-life scandal itself, the film very closely aligns with details of Letourneau and Fualaau’s life, down to the idyllic beach house photo shoot the real couple engaged in in 2006 to celebrate their one-year wedding anniversary.
The film draws loose but obvious inspiration from the infamous 1990s scandal in which Mary Kay Letourneau, then 34, victimized 12-year-old Fualaau, leading to her eventually pleading guilty to two counts of child rape. A few details have been changed for the film: in real life, Letourneau was a sixth-grade teacher and Fualaau was her student, whereas in the movie Julianne Moore’s character Gracie Atherton-Yoo worked at a pet shop where she preyed on her 13-year-old colleague, Joe (Charles Melton).
But these slightly altered details aside, as well as the “May December” largely avoiding discussing the real-life scandal itself, the film very closely aligns with details of Letourneau and Fualaau’s life, down to the idyllic beach house photo shoot the real couple engaged in in 2006 to celebrate their one-year wedding anniversary.
- 1/4/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
In Todd Haynes’ May December, Natalie Portman plays Elizabeth Berry, an actress obsessively researching a married couple with a scandalous past.
The similarities between the couple’s story and the Mary Kay Letourneau case — which May December screenwriter Samy Burch has cited as her inspiration — are striking.
But in an ironic twist, no one involved in the Netflix-produced May December has ever reached out to Vili Fualaau, who serves as the inspiration for Charles Melton’s Golden Globe-nominated portrayal of Joe Yoo.
In the film, Joe is 13 when he is first seduced by Julianne Moore’s 36-year-old character. Fualaau was just 12 when a 34-year-old Letourneau first victimized him in 1996. Letourneau later pleaded guilty to two counts of child rape.
There are many other similarities. Both men are Asian/Pacific Islander — Joe is half-Korean, Fualaau is Samoan. Both father children born in prison. Both marry their female abusers after the...
The similarities between the couple’s story and the Mary Kay Letourneau case — which May December screenwriter Samy Burch has cited as her inspiration — are striking.
But in an ironic twist, no one involved in the Netflix-produced May December has ever reached out to Vili Fualaau, who serves as the inspiration for Charles Melton’s Golden Globe-nominated portrayal of Joe Yoo.
In the film, Joe is 13 when he is first seduced by Julianne Moore’s 36-year-old character. Fualaau was just 12 when a 34-year-old Letourneau first victimized him in 1996. Letourneau later pleaded guilty to two counts of child rape.
There are many other similarities. Both men are Asian/Pacific Islander — Joe is half-Korean, Fualaau is Samoan. Both father children born in prison. Both marry their female abusers after the...
- 1/4/2024
- by Seth Abramovitch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
[Editor’s note: The following article contains spoilers for “Notes on a Scandal,” “Last Summer,” and “May December.“]
“May December” has been called a dark comedy and a campy take on “Persona” (though director Todd Haynes disdains the “camp” label). It inspired an unexpected Netflix meme-based social media push capitalizing on the shirtless scenes of supporting star Charles Melton, and now this tale of abuse has been nominated for, of all things, a comedy at this year’s Golden Globes. (Netflix submitted the film as such.)
It seems that “May December” has led to every conversation but what it’s actually about: grooming.
The film tracks the fallout of Gracie, an adult woman (Julianne Moore) who seduced a 12-year-old boy (played as an adult by Charles Melton), had his children, went to jail for her misdeeds, and — eventually — married her victim. Natalie Portman portrays Elizabeth, an actress playing Gracie in a big-screen adaptation of her life.
Written by Samy Burch,...
“May December” has been called a dark comedy and a campy take on “Persona” (though director Todd Haynes disdains the “camp” label). It inspired an unexpected Netflix meme-based social media push capitalizing on the shirtless scenes of supporting star Charles Melton, and now this tale of abuse has been nominated for, of all things, a comedy at this year’s Golden Globes. (Netflix submitted the film as such.)
It seems that “May December” has led to every conversation but what it’s actually about: grooming.
The film tracks the fallout of Gracie, an adult woman (Julianne Moore) who seduced a 12-year-old boy (played as an adult by Charles Melton), had his children, went to jail for her misdeeds, and — eventually — married her victim. Natalie Portman portrays Elizabeth, an actress playing Gracie in a big-screen adaptation of her life.
Written by Samy Burch,...
- 12/18/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The Netflix movie "May December" is heavily inspired by the real-life relationship between Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau, which is probably why its depiction of stereotypes of Asian men feels so close to reality, too. The morally problematic tale takes viewers on a complex journey with troubling racial implications, particularly as they relate to weaponized whiteness and the depiction of Asian masculinity as subservient and childlike.
This highly publicized case, as well as its fictionalized version depicted in "May December," raises a central question: how did the fact that she's a white woman impact not only her ability to groom him - an Asian American boy - but also the public's reaction to the story?
This feeds into the harmful stereotype that Asian men are complacent and obedient.
In "May December," Julianne Moore plays Gracie, the fictionalized version of Letourneau, who began sexually abusing Fualauu when he was her sixth-grade student.
This highly publicized case, as well as its fictionalized version depicted in "May December," raises a central question: how did the fact that she's a white woman impact not only her ability to groom him - an Asian American boy - but also the public's reaction to the story?
This feeds into the harmful stereotype that Asian men are complacent and obedient.
In "May December," Julianne Moore plays Gracie, the fictionalized version of Letourneau, who began sexually abusing Fualauu when he was her sixth-grade student.
- 12/18/2023
- by Michael Kwan
- Popsugar.com
Deadline’s Read the Screenplay series spotlighting the year’s most talked-about scripts continues with the Todd Haynes-directed May December starring Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman and Charles Melton. It made a splash at Cannes this year when the darkly comedic and complex feature, loosely based on the story of Mary Kay Letourneau, was picked up by Netflix in a splashy $11 million rights deal.
“It’s just made all of us feel emboldened,” Haynes told Deadline at the time.
Written by Samy Burch (its her first produced script), the film follows the nature of a scandalous romance between a married woman and a 13-year-old that was a tabloid staple when it happened 20 years ago. As in the high-profile romance between teacher Letourneau and Vili Fualaau, Moore’s character served time for seducing an underaged teen, but eventually married the kid and they moved away to raise a family and live quietly.
“It’s just made all of us feel emboldened,” Haynes told Deadline at the time.
Written by Samy Burch (its her first produced script), the film follows the nature of a scandalous romance between a married woman and a 13-year-old that was a tabloid staple when it happened 20 years ago. As in the high-profile romance between teacher Letourneau and Vili Fualaau, Moore’s character served time for seducing an underaged teen, but eventually married the kid and they moved away to raise a family and live quietly.
- 12/6/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
If I told you the best performance in a film featuring Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman would come from Charles Melton, an up-and-comer best known for "Riverdale," would you believe me? Well, if not, watch "May December."
Melton plays Joe Yoo; when he was 12 years old, Joe was groomed and molested at his afterschool pet store job by his supervisor, 36-year-old Gracie Atherton (Moore). Years later in 2015, Joe is married to Gracie with three kids, but while he acts the part of a suburban dad (at Gracie's repeated direction), it's a role he took on before he was ready. "May December" is inspired by the true story of Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau. None of the three leads have enviable roles to play, though Melton has the most baldly sympathetic; a victim who hasn't come to terms with being one. Joe has limited emotional range, sure, but not because...
Melton plays Joe Yoo; when he was 12 years old, Joe was groomed and molested at his afterschool pet store job by his supervisor, 36-year-old Gracie Atherton (Moore). Years later in 2015, Joe is married to Gracie with three kids, but while he acts the part of a suburban dad (at Gracie's repeated direction), it's a role he took on before he was ready. "May December" is inspired by the true story of Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau. None of the three leads have enviable roles to play, though Melton has the most baldly sympathetic; a victim who hasn't come to terms with being one. Joe has limited emotional range, sure, but not because...
- 12/6/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
It’s the most exciting time of Charles Melton’s career — and he’s spent much of it asleep.
“There’s a lot of gratitude. I also never knew I was capable of taking so many naps in one day,” Melton says. “I’m just sleeping.”
Oh, don’t get him wrong: The past few weeks have seen a whirlwind of promotional work and accolades for the May December actor. The 32-year-old made kimchi for a New York Times profile, did spots on morning shows, humorously fumbled his Gotham Awards trophy,...
“There’s a lot of gratitude. I also never knew I was capable of taking so many naps in one day,” Melton says. “I’m just sleeping.”
Oh, don’t get him wrong: The past few weeks have seen a whirlwind of promotional work and accolades for the May December actor. The 32-year-old made kimchi for a New York Times profile, did spots on morning shows, humorously fumbled his Gotham Awards trophy,...
- 12/6/2023
- by CT Jones
- Rollingstone.com
Any movie that gets made is nothing short of a small miracle, so when the final product is as unfathomably good as "May December," it's worth celebrating. Todd Haynes' newest film is a striking, discomforting story of an actor (Natalie Portman) shadowing the life of a woman (Julianne Moore) she'll be playing in a movie based on the woman's notorious marriage to the man she groomed when she was 36 and he was only 12. It's a ghastly situation loosely based on the real lives of Mary Kay Letourneau (Rip Bozo) and Vili Fualaau, presented in the beautifully complex and gasp-inducing melodrama that could only come from Todd Haynes. The score is perfect, the camera work is masterful, the acting performances are some of the best of the year, and Samy Burch's script is a revelation. And to think it all almost fell apart before it ever began.
Cinematographer Edward Lachman...
Cinematographer Edward Lachman...
- 12/5/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
When the media adaptation of a real-life crime scenario, especially sexual abuse, is in question, the perspective and predicament of the victim deserve most of the attention, as there is a risk of misinterpretation if the makers are not sincere enough. Todd Haynes, director of May December, a drama inspired by the scandalous ‘relationship’ between Mary Kay Letourneau, a middle-aged teacher who seduced her 6th grade student, Vili Fualaau, understood the assignment well. Accordingly, in the movie, greater importance was given to the character of Joe Yoo—the movie’s version of Vili Fualaau’s character—which made viewers able to learn how traumatic and even subliminal the impact of sexual abuse can be.
As the events of the movie take place two decades after the scandalous incident, at a time when Joe has raised a family with Gracie (Mary Kay’s character in the movie), an exploration of Joe’s psyche—and,...
As the events of the movie take place two decades after the scandalous incident, at a time when Joe has raised a family with Gracie (Mary Kay’s character in the movie), an exploration of Joe’s psyche—and,...
- 12/4/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
In any form of adaptation of real-life events, even the direct ones, the formation of a barrier between fact and fiction turns out to be the most crucial indicator by which to measure the qualitative aspects of the said adaptation—more so in the case of crime-oriented cases. So often, it happens that for mass appeal, reality is distorted in adaptations, thereby trivializing the impact of a crime on the lives of the people involved. In that regard, May December, a movie adaptation of one of the most sensitive scandals in the United States—the infamous case of Mary Kay Letourneau, a middle-aged woman who seduced one of her minor students and went on to have a family with him—was always going to be the most scrutinized entry. Most importantly, the way Mary Kay as a person became a household ‘topic’ during the late 90s due to the media...
- 12/3/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
Todd Haynes is, in this writer’s opinion, one of our greatest living filmmakers. Ever since his 1987 film, Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, a moving examination of the singer’s battle with anorexia using Barbie dolls and created while he was at Bard College, his unique voice has enraptured audiences. Safe. Velvet Goldmine. Far From Heaven. Carol. The Velvet Underground. There are too many classics to mention.
In his latest film, May December, Haynes has reunited with his muse Julianne Moore for their fifth collaboration over nearly three decades. She plays Gracie Atherton-Yoo,...
In his latest film, May December, Haynes has reunited with his muse Julianne Moore for their fifth collaboration over nearly three decades. She plays Gracie Atherton-Yoo,...
- 12/2/2023
- by Marlow Stern
- Rollingstone.com
Todd Haynes' "May December" is the most deliberately uncomfortable movie of 2023, but you owe yourself a viewing. Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore) is a middle-aged woman with a husband, Joe (Charles Melton), less than half her age; they met when he was in 7th grade and she groomed him.
Before you ask, no, depiction is not an endorsement here. Gracie is self-pitying and manipulative, Joe is trapped in arrested development, and the movie hammers in how destructive their "relationship" has been for him; part of him wants to escape but doesn't know how. "May December" enters murky waters to ask tough questions about the audience's relationship to sensationalism.
As Haynes has acknowledged, Samy Burch's screenplay is loosely inspired by the life of Mary Kay Letourneau, a real predator who married her victim Vili Fualaau after being convicted in 1997. These events were a media sensation and have been echoed in film before,...
Before you ask, no, depiction is not an endorsement here. Gracie is self-pitying and manipulative, Joe is trapped in arrested development, and the movie hammers in how destructive their "relationship" has been for him; part of him wants to escape but doesn't know how. "May December" enters murky waters to ask tough questions about the audience's relationship to sensationalism.
As Haynes has acknowledged, Samy Burch's screenplay is loosely inspired by the life of Mary Kay Letourneau, a real predator who married her victim Vili Fualaau after being convicted in 1997. These events were a media sensation and have been echoed in film before,...
- 12/2/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
The intellectual faculty of the human mind is as fascinating for its complexity as it is for its unpredictability. With sincere misguidance, provocation, or inconvenience, it can shun the revered structures of moral and ethical foundation, which we pretend to so dearly uphold as the core of society. Accordingly, in the age of post-truth, the media plays a significant role in debilitating these foundations as well, through its all-pervasive influence and ability to distort reality. Todd Haynes’ movie May December examines the media’s responsibility in this regard as the movie takes a closer look at one of the United States’ most notorious, scandalous incidents.
During the late 1990s, the infamous case of an elementary school teacher named Mary Kay Letourneau, created a nationwide furor in USA. The woman had started a physical relationship with a minor, Vili Fualaau, who was a student in her class. Thanks to the media...
During the late 1990s, the infamous case of an elementary school teacher named Mary Kay Letourneau, created a nationwide furor in USA. The woman had started a physical relationship with a minor, Vili Fualaau, who was a student in her class. Thanks to the media...
- 12/2/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
In Todd Haynes’ Netflix drama “May December,” the subject of a decades-old tabloid sex scandal is visited by a famous actress set to portray her in a film.
Julianne Moore plays Gracie Atherton-Yoo, who was 36 years old when she was caught having sex with Joe, a 13-year-old boy who worked with her at a pet store. After having his first child from behind bars, Gracie began her life with Joe (Charles Melton), who is now the same age Gracie was when they first met. Gracie and Joe have three children together, the youngest of them about to graduate high school, and are settling into quiet suburban life when Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) arrives at their waterfront home to study her subject and rock the boat.
If the story feels ripped from the headlines, that’s because the film is loosely inspired by the Mary Kay Letourneau tabloid scandal of the late-1990s.
Julianne Moore plays Gracie Atherton-Yoo, who was 36 years old when she was caught having sex with Joe, a 13-year-old boy who worked with her at a pet store. After having his first child from behind bars, Gracie began her life with Joe (Charles Melton), who is now the same age Gracie was when they first met. Gracie and Joe have three children together, the youngest of them about to graduate high school, and are settling into quiet suburban life when Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) arrives at their waterfront home to study her subject and rock the boat.
If the story feels ripped from the headlines, that’s because the film is loosely inspired by the Mary Kay Letourneau tabloid scandal of the late-1990s.
- 12/1/2023
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Todd Haynes’ latest movie May December may not seem like a traditional true crime tale, but Gracie (Julianne Moore) and Joe’s (Charles Melton) story is based on the real life “relationship” between Seattle teacher Mary Kay Letourneau and her student Vili Fualaau that began in the late ‘90s. While there were obviously some changes made to fictionalize their story for dramatic effect, a lot of what May December depicts isn’t terribly far off from the truth.
In 1997, Letourneau gained nationwide attention after she was arrested on two counts of second-degree child rape, which she eventually pleaded guilty to after she was found to have had a sexual relationship with Fualaau. Because Fualaau was only 13 and a minor at the time of Letourneau’s arrest, his identity was largely kept a secret, leaving Letourneau and her legal team to craft the narrative that the media ultimately ran with.
Rather...
In 1997, Letourneau gained nationwide attention after she was arrested on two counts of second-degree child rape, which she eventually pleaded guilty to after she was found to have had a sexual relationship with Fualaau. Because Fualaau was only 13 and a minor at the time of Letourneau’s arrest, his identity was largely kept a secret, leaving Letourneau and her legal team to craft the narrative that the media ultimately ran with.
Rather...
- 12/1/2023
- by Brynnaarens
- Den of Geek
This article contains major spoilers for "May December."
As far back as the Middle Ages, springtime months were frequently depicted in literature as young women, while the later, winter months as old men. The great Geoffrey Chaucer even included a couple in "The Canterbury Tales" named Miss May and Mr. January who were depicted as a young woman and a graying old man. This was written before the Gregorian calendar was accepted which established December as the last month of the year, so updated versions often change his name to "Mr. December." And thus, the expression "May December" was born, a shorthand expression to indicate a large age gap between romantic couples. This is the source of the title of Todd Haynes' latest film, "May December," a delicious melodrama about humanity and boundaries inspired by the real-life scandal and subsequent marriage of 34-year-old Mary Kay Letourneau and her 12-year-old student,...
As far back as the Middle Ages, springtime months were frequently depicted in literature as young women, while the later, winter months as old men. The great Geoffrey Chaucer even included a couple in "The Canterbury Tales" named Miss May and Mr. January who were depicted as a young woman and a graying old man. This was written before the Gregorian calendar was accepted which established December as the last month of the year, so updated versions often change his name to "Mr. December." And thus, the expression "May December" was born, a shorthand expression to indicate a large age gap between romantic couples. This is the source of the title of Todd Haynes' latest film, "May December," a delicious melodrama about humanity and boundaries inspired by the real-life scandal and subsequent marriage of 34-year-old Mary Kay Letourneau and her 12-year-old student,...
- 12/1/2023
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Natalie Portman calls Todd Haynes’ new film, “May December,” a “dream role.”
“May December” stars Portman as actress Elizabeth Berry (Portman), who is set to portray Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore) in a movie. Gracie is a Georgia woman who became a notorious tabloid figure when she engaged in a sexual relationship with a 12-year-old boy, Joe.
Twenty years have passed, and Gracie is trying to move on from the scandal. But to prepare for her upcoming role, Elizabeth visits Gracie and Joe (Charles Melton), who is now 36. The couple is still together, married with children, but Elizabeth’s arrival exposes the fractures beneath their carefully constructed surface.
“There are so many refractions that all mirrors the work Todd put into it,” Portman says. “How you see the characters with Samy [Burch]’s writing, where it switches as soon as you think you know something about them. You’re never sure or...
“May December” stars Portman as actress Elizabeth Berry (Portman), who is set to portray Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore) in a movie. Gracie is a Georgia woman who became a notorious tabloid figure when she engaged in a sexual relationship with a 12-year-old boy, Joe.
Twenty years have passed, and Gracie is trying to move on from the scandal. But to prepare for her upcoming role, Elizabeth visits Gracie and Joe (Charles Melton), who is now 36. The couple is still together, married with children, but Elizabeth’s arrival exposes the fractures beneath their carefully constructed surface.
“There are so many refractions that all mirrors the work Todd put into it,” Portman says. “How you see the characters with Samy [Burch]’s writing, where it switches as soon as you think you know something about them. You’re never sure or...
- 11/23/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
As May December has made the rounds at this year’s film festivals and begun its awards season run, many comparisons have been made between the Netflix movie and the real-life story of Mary Kay Letourneau — a teacher who began a sexual relationship with 12-year-old student Vili Fualaau, going to jail in 1997 before the two were eventually married for 14 years and had several children.
Similarly, May December stars Julianne Moore as Gracie, a 30-something woman who begins a relationship with Joe (played by Charles Melton) when he is in seventh grade; 20 years later, the two are married and have three kids headed to college when actress Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) shows up at their home for a research visit to prepare to play Gracie in a movie.
“Certainly that’s the seed of it, the big picture thing, but it was important to me that this wasn’t the Mary Kay Letourneau story,...
Similarly, May December stars Julianne Moore as Gracie, a 30-something woman who begins a relationship with Joe (played by Charles Melton) when he is in seventh grade; 20 years later, the two are married and have three kids headed to college when actress Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) shows up at their home for a research visit to prepare to play Gracie in a movie.
“Certainly that’s the seed of it, the big picture thing, but it was important to me that this wasn’t the Mary Kay Letourneau story,...
- 11/17/2023
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix is creatively exploring a story that's ripped from the headlines in the new drama, "May December," which is set to release in select theaters on Nov. 17 and hit the streamer on Dec. 1. "May December" follows Gracie Atherton-Yoo (Julianne Moore) and Joe Yoo ("Riverdale's" Charles Melton), who 20 years prior, began a romantic relationship at the pet shop where they worked when she was 36 and he was 13 years old. The two, now removed from the intense tabloid frenzy that once controlled their lives, live in Savannah with their children and find aspects of their past brought to light when actor Elizabeth Berry (Natalie Portman) is set to portray Gracie in a new movie.
Though not exclusively based on a true story, the film is a fictionalized take on the 27-year-old case of Mary Kay Letourneau's highly publicized, scrutinized, and controversial relationship with Vili Fualaau, who she began sexually abusing when...
Though not exclusively based on a true story, the film is a fictionalized take on the 27-year-old case of Mary Kay Letourneau's highly publicized, scrutinized, and controversial relationship with Vili Fualaau, who she began sexually abusing when...
- 10/10/2023
- by Alicia Geigel
- Popsugar.com
One thing eagle-eared Todd Haynes fans might have noticed in the trailer for his new film “May December”? Julianne Moore’s lisp.
The actress, who previously starred in Haynes’ films like “Safe” and “Far from Heaven,” plays Gracie Atherton-Yoo, a predatory woman married to a man with whom she started a relationship when he was a young teenager years ago. Now, in the present day, Natalie Portman plays an actress, Elizabeth Berry, studying Gracie to play her in an upcoming movie. That includes mimicking Gracie’s mannerisms, including a slight speech impediment.
As Haynes explained at a Friday morning press conference ahead of the campy melodrama‘s opening night premiere at the New York Film Festival on Friday, Moore’s character is based on Mary Kay Letourneau. She’s the since-deceased teacher who went viral in the mid-1990s for having an affair with a 12-year-old boy, whom she ended...
The actress, who previously starred in Haynes’ films like “Safe” and “Far from Heaven,” plays Gracie Atherton-Yoo, a predatory woman married to a man with whom she started a relationship when he was a young teenager years ago. Now, in the present day, Natalie Portman plays an actress, Elizabeth Berry, studying Gracie to play her in an upcoming movie. That includes mimicking Gracie’s mannerisms, including a slight speech impediment.
As Haynes explained at a Friday morning press conference ahead of the campy melodrama‘s opening night premiere at the New York Film Festival on Friday, Moore’s character is based on Mary Kay Letourneau. She’s the since-deceased teacher who went viral in the mid-1990s for having an affair with a 12-year-old boy, whom she ended...
- 9/29/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore Turn Tabloid Spectacle Into High Melodrama in ‘May December’ Trailer
Filmmaker Todd Haynes is back in his loosely-inspired-by bag for his new movie May December. Where 1998’s Velvet Goldmine excavated and toyed with the life and legacy of David Bowie, Haynes’ next film appears to draw inspiration from the seedy tabloid story of Mary Kay Letourneau, a teacher who had an affair with — and then married — her adolescent student, Vili Fualaau.
To be clear, May December — like Velvet Goldmine — is not an outright biopic, though biopics are used as a clever device in the new movie. Julianne Moore and Charles Melton play the couple,...
To be clear, May December — like Velvet Goldmine — is not an outright biopic, though biopics are used as a clever device in the new movie. Julianne Moore and Charles Melton play the couple,...
- 9/26/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
The official trailer for Todd Haynes’ upcoming film, May December, explores a twisted personal drama, reminiscent of the real-life scandal between former teacher Mary Kay Letourneau and her 13-year-old student, Vili Fualaau.
The film stars Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry, an actress who travels to Maine to spend time with the real-life character she’ll be portraying in an upcoming film, a disgraced former teacher who made tabloid headlines for her relationship with a young teen student.
Julianne Moore plays the teacher, Gracie Atherton-Yoo, who has since married and had kids with the now-grown student, Joe Yoo (Charles Melton), having given birth to one of their children while she was imprisoned for her crimes against the then-minor.
May December. (L to R) Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo and Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry in May December. — Photo: Francois Duhamel / courtesy of Netflix May December, L to R: Julianne Moore as...
The film stars Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry, an actress who travels to Maine to spend time with the real-life character she’ll be portraying in an upcoming film, a disgraced former teacher who made tabloid headlines for her relationship with a young teen student.
Julianne Moore plays the teacher, Gracie Atherton-Yoo, who has since married and had kids with the now-grown student, Joe Yoo (Charles Melton), having given birth to one of their children while she was imprisoned for her crimes against the then-minor.
May December. (L to R) Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo and Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry in May December. — Photo: Francois Duhamel / courtesy of Netflix May December, L to R: Julianne Moore as...
- 9/26/2023
- by Alex Nino Gheciu
- ET Canada
One of the most significant acquisitions of the Cannes Film Festival this year was Todd Haynes’ May December, which, just before its NYFF debut later this week, has finally gotten a trailer. The film stars Natalie Portman as an actress staying with the woman (Julianne Moore) that she’s about to play in a movie. The woman in question is a former teacher who had an affair with one of her students and, once she got out of jail, married the now-grown man (played by Charles Melton) in question.
Younger readers may not remember the Mary Kay Letourneau case, but in the late nineties, it was huge news. An elementary-school teacher, Mary Kay Letourneau, had an affair with Vili Fualaau, her 12-year-old student and was convicted of second-degree felony rape of a child. While she nearly got off with a plea deal, while awaiting sentencing, she was discovered with the...
Younger readers may not remember the Mary Kay Letourneau case, but in the late nineties, it was huge news. An elementary-school teacher, Mary Kay Letourneau, had an affair with Vili Fualaau, her 12-year-old student and was convicted of second-degree felony rape of a child. While she nearly got off with a plea deal, while awaiting sentencing, she was discovered with the...
- 9/26/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: After an old-style all-night auction, Netflix is finalizing an $11 million deal for North American rights to May December, the Todd Haynes-directed drama that stars Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman. It is far and away the big deal of Cannes so far, and a deal of this size ought to send a jolt of optimism that the North American marketplace for Cannes films is still alive and well, after a slow start here.
The deal is being finalized by CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group, with Rocket Science brokering international deals. The film premiered at Cannes last Saturday evening, and received an eight-minute standing ovation and positive notices. It is most unusual for Netflix to take North American rights, so this is an exceptional situation.
Director Haynes reacted to our scoop almost in real time when we interviewed him this morning in Cannes, saying the deal made...
The deal is being finalized by CAA Media Finance and UTA Independent Film Group, with Rocket Science brokering international deals. The film premiered at Cannes last Saturday evening, and received an eight-minute standing ovation and positive notices. It is most unusual for Netflix to take North American rights, so this is an exceptional situation.
Director Haynes reacted to our scoop almost in real time when we interviewed him this morning in Cannes, saying the deal made...
- 5/23/2023
- by Mike Fleming Jr and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Todd Haynes is the latest auteur to use Cannes as a launching pad for a potential Oscar contender, debuting his delicious dramedy “May December” at the festival on Saturday.
Premiering less than one hour after Martin Scorsese’s 202-minute “Killers of the Flower Moon” conquered Cannes, the torrential downpour on Saturday night couldn’t keep many patrons away from taking in the Haynes movie. And not just because the movie reunites the director with his muse Julianne Moore, who he worked wonders with on “Safe” (1995) and “Far from Heaven” (2002), the latter which earned an Oscar nomination for Moore’s performance and one for Haynes’ script.
Add the excitement of Moore acting opposite Natalie Portman; how can this not be a winning recipe for success? With a whip-smart script from feature debut screenwriter Samy Burch (and a “story by” credit by Alex Mechanik), as well as a surprising standout turn from heartthrob Charles Melton,...
Premiering less than one hour after Martin Scorsese’s 202-minute “Killers of the Flower Moon” conquered Cannes, the torrential downpour on Saturday night couldn’t keep many patrons away from taking in the Haynes movie. And not just because the movie reunites the director with his muse Julianne Moore, who he worked wonders with on “Safe” (1995) and “Far from Heaven” (2002), the latter which earned an Oscar nomination for Moore’s performance and one for Haynes’ script.
Add the excitement of Moore acting opposite Natalie Portman; how can this not be a winning recipe for success? With a whip-smart script from feature debut screenwriter Samy Burch (and a “story by” credit by Alex Mechanik), as well as a surprising standout turn from heartthrob Charles Melton,...
- 5/21/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
At the Cannes press conference for Todd Haynes’ “May December,” nobody mentioned the real-life relationship between schoolteacher Mary Kay Letourneau and her former student, Vili Fualaau, which started when he was 12 years old. But the movie, which stars Julianne Moore as a fictional schoolteacher years after a similar tabloid scandal and Natalie Portman as an actress attempting to play her, has clear ties to a real-life situation even if the project doesn’t serve as an official biopic.
Just as Letourneau and Fualaau ultimately raised the two children conceived while he was a minor, Moore’s character Gracie remains married to thirtysomething Joe (Charles Melton) when Portman’s arrival at their home to research the part complicates the dynamic. “The reason this movie feels so dangerous is because people don’t know where anyone’s boundaries are,” Moore said. “An age gap is one thing, but a relationship between an...
Just as Letourneau and Fualaau ultimately raised the two children conceived while he was a minor, Moore’s character Gracie remains married to thirtysomething Joe (Charles Melton) when Portman’s arrival at their home to research the part complicates the dynamic. “The reason this movie feels so dangerous is because people don’t know where anyone’s boundaries are,” Moore said. “An age gap is one thing, but a relationship between an...
- 5/21/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
After exploring the history of the Velvet Underground, Todd Haynes is returning with his first narrative feature since 2019’s severely overlooked Dark Waters this month as May December is set for a Cannes Film Festival launch in competition. Starring Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman, scripted by Samy Burch, and shot by Kelly Reichardt’s longtime cinematographer Christopher Blauvelt, the first image has now finally arrived, which can be seen above via Variety.
Also starring Charles Melton, Piper Curda, Elizabeth Yu, and Gabriel Chun, here’s the synopsis: “Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, Gracie Atherton-Yu and her husband Joe (twenty-three years her junior) brace themselves for their twins to graduate from high school. When Hollywood actress Elizabeth Berry comes to spend time with the family to better understand Gracie, who she will be playing in a film, family dynamics unravel under the pressure of the outside gaze.
Also starring Charles Melton, Piper Curda, Elizabeth Yu, and Gabriel Chun, here’s the synopsis: “Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, Gracie Atherton-Yu and her husband Joe (twenty-three years her junior) brace themselves for their twins to graduate from high school. When Hollywood actress Elizabeth Berry comes to spend time with the family to better understand Gracie, who she will be playing in a film, family dynamics unravel under the pressure of the outside gaze.
- 5/1/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Two months after the death of his former teacher and convicted child rapist Mary Kay Letourneau, her husband Vili Faulaau has spoken out. In an interview on Wednesday on The Dr. Oz Show, Faulaau discussed his late wife and past sexual abuser, Letourneau. Dr. Oz noted how Fualaau was approximately the same age his wife was […]
The post Vili Fualaau Says He’d ‘Seek Some Help’ If He Were Attracted to Someone Underage appeared first on uInterview.
The post Vili Fualaau Says He’d ‘Seek Some Help’ If He Were Attracted to Someone Underage appeared first on uInterview.
- 9/17/2020
- by Yati Sanghvi
- Uinterview
Vili Fualaau is opening up about his final moments with Mary Kay Letourneau before she died of cancer at the age of 58. In an exclusive sneak peek from his appearance on The Dr. Oz Show, which airs Wednesday, Sept. 16, Fualaau details their last conversation. "We were just talking about when they were kids and we were laughing," Fualaau describes. "And I turned over and... I didn't see her chest moving." "And I thought it was maybe one of those pauses she has and she'll come back. You know, she's gonna take a deep breath and she's gonna come back," he continues. "I would count in-between those pauses and it was just the longest count that I...
- 9/15/2020
- E! Online
Teacher Mary Kay Letourneau made headlines in 1997 when news that she was having a sexual relationship with one of her 12-year-old students, Vili Fualaau, became public. In a bizarre twist of fate, the two later reconciled and were married. During this time, Letourneau had been battling colon cancer, which ended up taking her life this […]
The post Mary Kay Letourneau Leaves Estate To Her Former Student & Ex Husband, Vili Fualaau, & Their Kids appeared first on uInterview.
The post Mary Kay Letourneau Leaves Estate To Her Former Student & Ex Husband, Vili Fualaau, & Their Kids appeared first on uInterview.
- 9/9/2020
- by Kenny Santos
- Uinterview
Vili Fualaau “lost a piece of himself” after his ex-wife and former sixth-grade teacher, Mary Kay Letourneau, died of cancer earlier this week. Letourneau was Fualaau’s teacher when the two began an illegal relationship. Fualaau was 12 years old at the time and before he turned 15, Letourneau became pregnant twice despite court orders aimed […]
The post Vili Fualaau ‘Lost A Piece Of Himself’ After Ex-Wife Mary Kay Letourneau’s Death appeared first on uInterview.
The post Vili Fualaau ‘Lost A Piece Of Himself’ After Ex-Wife Mary Kay Letourneau’s Death appeared first on uInterview.
- 7/14/2020
- by Hannah Mallard
- Uinterview
Mary Kay Letourneau, the woman who was jailed for raping her sixth grade student, has died after a battle with cancer at 58 years old. Letourneau had made headlines in the 90s when she was charged with raping her student Vili Fualaau. After spending time in jail, the pair got married in 2005 and had […]
The post Mary Kay Letourneau, Who Raped Sixth Grade Student Then Married Him, Dies Of Cancer At 58 appeared first on uInterview.
The post Mary Kay Letourneau, Who Raped Sixth Grade Student Then Married Him, Dies Of Cancer At 58 appeared first on uInterview.
- 7/9/2020
- by Kate Reynolds
- Uinterview
Mary Kay Letourneau has died at the age of 58. The infamous public figure and former teacher, who was convicted of raping the 13-year-old student she would later go on to marry, died of stage 4 cancer. Letourneau's attorney confirmed news of her passing to NBC. Letourneau was 34-years-old when she began a sexual relationship with sixth grader Vili Fualaau. In 1997, while awaiting sentencing on second-degree rape charges of Fualaau, the Washington-based middle school teacher gave birth to their first daughter, Audrey. At the time, Letourneau was ordered to spend six months in jail and stay away from Fualaau, however upon her release in 1998, authorities...
- 7/8/2020
- E! Online
After trying to make their marriage work, Mary Kay Letourneau and her former student, Vili Fualaau, appear to have called it quits once again. E! News has confirmed that the controversial couple, who share two kids together, filed documents with King County Superior Court in Feb. 2019 to move their separation case to private arbitration. A source has also confirmed to People that Letourneau and Fualaau are wanting to end their relationship. Letourneau first started making headlines in the late '90s when it was revealed that she, then 34, was in a sexual relationship with her sixth grade student, Fualaau. Letourneau would later be sentenced to over seven years...
- 3/28/2019
- E! Online
Watching the hearings for Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination has been no easy feat, especially when Dr. Christine Blasey Ford came to testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday, Sept. 27. But for her, that experience must've been even harder as she had to share and recount her trauma in front of not just a room full of people, but cameras that placed her in a national spotlight. Throughout her testimony, she maintained her composure and answered questions to the best of her ability, and much of what she had to say resonated with survivors of sexual assault. One quote in particular, though, stood out from the rest. When asked by Senator Patrick Leahy to explain a detail that stayed with her most from her alleged assault, Christine Blasey Ford said it was Brett Kavanaugh and Mark Judge's laughter after Kavanaugh allegedly asaulted her. "Indelible in the hippocampus is the laughter,...
- 9/27/2018
- by Chelsea Duff
- In Touch Weekly
Two years after former Bridalplasty star Lisa Marie Naegle's gruesome murder, a man was found guilty in connection to her death. Jackie Jerome Rogers has been found guilty of brutally killing Naegle on Dec. 18, 2016, by beating the nurse at least eight times with a hammer while the two were inside his car before burying her body in a shallow grave in his backyard, the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office confirmed to People. On Monday, Sept. 24, Rogers was charged with one count of first-degree murder. Rogers, 34, had been Lisa’s former student and the two had been having an affair at the time of her death, according to People. Just hours before Naegle's murder, she had attended a friend's birthday dinner at a restaurant in Torrance, CA with Rogers, and that was the last time Naegle was seen alive. Naegle's family first realized something was wrong after she failed...
- 9/27/2018
- by Emma Hernandez
- In Touch Weekly
Was it love or was it a crime? It seems like Mary Kay Letourneau still, to this day, does not think that her affair with her student Vili Fualaau was illegal. Now, more than 20 years after she was convicted of raping Vili when he was 12 years old and she was 34, Mary is speaking out and she claims that she did not know that having a sexual relationship with a minor was a crime. "If someone had told if anyone had told me there is a specific law that this is a crime. If you had someone on here that knew Mary back then, would Mary have known," Mary, who is now 56 years old, said in an interview on Sunday Night on Australia’s Channel Seven. "I did not know I have said this over and over again, had I had known — if anyone knows my personality — just the idea that...
- 9/24/2018
- by Emma Hernandez
- In Touch Weekly
Notorious pedophile Mary Kay Letourneau told Australia’s Sunday Night, a news and current affairs show on the Seven Network, that she had no idea what she did was a crime.
The former American schoolteacher, who twice went to jail over her affair with a 12-year-old student she later married and had children with, plead guilty in 1996 to two counts of felony second-degree rape of a child. Letourneaou was 34, married, and had four children.
Letourneau’s saga was made into a USA Network movie in 2000, All-American Girl: The Mary Kay Letourneau Story. The story has also been chronicled on numerous news features, including Biography’s documentary, Mary Kay Letourneau: Autobiography,
She began a relationship with student Vili Fualaau during summer school. Now, she claims, she had no idea it was wrong.
“If someone had told me, if anyone had told me, there is a specific law that says this is a crime,...
The former American schoolteacher, who twice went to jail over her affair with a 12-year-old student she later married and had children with, plead guilty in 1996 to two counts of felony second-degree rape of a child. Letourneaou was 34, married, and had four children.
Letourneau’s saga was made into a USA Network movie in 2000, All-American Girl: The Mary Kay Letourneau Story. The story has also been chronicled on numerous news features, including Biography’s documentary, Mary Kay Letourneau: Autobiography,
She began a relationship with student Vili Fualaau during summer school. Now, she claims, she had no idea it was wrong.
“If someone had told me, if anyone had told me, there is a specific law that says this is a crime,...
- 9/23/2018
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Mary Kay Letourneau's husband is being forced to cut back on the partying ... 'cause the plea deal in his DUI case calls for him to tone down his alcohol and cannabis consumption. Vili Fualaau pled guilty to reckless driving and, as part of his sentence, he's getting an ignition interlock device installed in his car. If he has any booze, the car won't start. He's also prohibited from having any liquor or recreational drugs...
- 9/17/2018
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Three dead bodies were found in the home of 40-year-old Stewart Weldon of Springfield, Ma, after he was stopped on May 27 for a broken taillight. The man allegedly crashed into a police cruiser after law enforcement chased him for a short period of time when he refused to pull over. A woman, who was in the car at the time, allegedly claimed to police that this man held her against her will for about a month, physically assaulted her, and raped her. According to charging documents obtained by People, the man struggled with police as he was put in handcuffs and arrested on charges of armed kidnapping with serious bodily injury, threat to commit a crime, resisting arrest, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, carrying a dangerous weapon, and failing to stop for police. He is being held on a $1 million bail after pleading not guilty to the charges against him.
- 6/1/2018
- by Alex Riccardi
- In Touch Weekly
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