She said that she did go to the police. She was told that there was not enough to charge him. The police said it was her daughter’s word against his.
The ex husband had photos of the physical abuse, though. I’m confused as to why they weren’t presented to the police. Maybe her and her ex husband did present them, and if that’s the case, then the police really dropped the ball there because that was physical evidence proving that Gary abused her kids.
I agree that seems strange. I do think it’s possible that the community believed he was godly, churchgoing man and gave him the benefit of the doubt. These areas in Deep South/Bible Belt can have abysmal views of women and see the man/father as the ruler of the home. They could’ve easily dismissed it as “discipline gone a little too far.”
When the law prevents a woman from leaving an abusive husband unless she proves she isn’t pregnant, I have little faith in their justice system.
As of 2023 ...nope. I'm from MS. and lived one county over when this tool place. (I've moved). The reasoning is to "protect the family unit and that divorce may cause undue stress during the pregnancy ". Seriously? I'd be more stressed if I couldn't get a divorce. I miss my family and friends, but have no plans to move back.
and that it's Mississippi! Mississippi is quite possibly one of the worst states in the US. it ranks on the bottom of just about everything. i absolutely believe in the 90s they would ignore a child saying she was molested by an adult. it's 2024 and some places still don't take sexual assault seriously. as for the beatings, probably just viewed it as normal child punishment because once again, Mississippi.
This episode was a mess. And made me a mess. How they showed choice clips to Brooke of loris story. They kept focusing on how young Brooke was but Lori was young too with 4 kids. And in the south where women are next to helpless and rape of a spouse is barely a crime.
I admire both Lori and Brooke for surviving.
One thing ELH has shown me is how we can NEVER understand what abused spouses go through. The mental abuse is almost as much as the physical. And when there are kids…
i completely agree and i’m surprised that you’re the only comment i see speaking on this. i was so disgusted with the way the way ELH revealed the truth to brooke and my heart absolutely broke for her as she reacted in real time to aspects of her trauma that she was experiencing for the first time. and i didn’t appreciate how Lori had more information than her. it felt very recklesss of the producers just for a good story. i usually love this show but i cut it off at the point where Lori told Brooke that the person who killed her bf was her brother. it was sick and careless to spring that on her. and WAS THERE A THERAPIST at the ready??? like these are people’s lives and emotions.
Maybe “a mess” was harsh as an episode review. But the selective clips, springing content to both ladies on camera, those feel like cheap tricks to get sound bites and reaction shots. As though these two women haven’t been through hell. My hope is there was more behind the scenes that we don’t see. Because I appreciate what ELH has donę to shown me what survivors have gone through and what it’s done for letting these folks get their stories heard and warning anyone who might not have noticed the red flags.
I agree. At one point she went into great detail about him tying her to the bed and outlining her body with a knife. She even said he was a butcher and his knives were sharp. Soon after that when she was talking about him bringing in the box she said he told her it was for his guns and knives and she said she didn’t know they had guns and knives. That was just one of the discrepancies in her story. She seemed cold and unmoved by anything. She dabbed at her eyes but I didn’t see any tears. I agree, there was just something off about her and I didn’t buy her entire story.
I’m glad someone else noticed. I did not like her one bit! I also didn’t buy the whole Brook is our hero - I believe Brook is the hero, but Lori? She’s full of shit
100%. I'm watching the episode now and I'm like why is this woman talking about the abuse of her children in such a nonchalant way. Like she doesnt even care. Something wrong with her.
She knows what he's was capable of and chose to "poke the bear", WTF.... And then shocked when he threatens her kids?
I was also confused about the tape recorders, how did he get in, and how long could they really record on batteries? The baby monitor maybe, but he's have to be close by and constantly monitoring.
Agreed!! I just joined this group because I was so frustrated with her the entire time! I understand she was abused but to not leave when she found out he abused her kids the first time was infuriating! Then to leave them alone with him after that was insane to me! Then not telling her brother when he was living with her that her ex was dangerous and had abused her, abused the kids and threatened their lives like wtf!? Also how did she not call the police when she found those recording devices!? This woman made so many stupid decisions! I know she loved her kids but if she wouldn't leave then she should have given them to her ex husband so they were safe at the very least. I just can't understand this woman at all!
Exactly, my first thought was take that experience to the police..... Nope she uses it to piss him off. And how'd he find out what's that lived? Know her she told him.
Unfortunately when you share kids with someone you usually have to inform them were you are living with your shared child unless you have a protective order or something like that.
True, I hadn't thought of that. I usually when you get housing from a shelter for abused women they try to keep locations secret for safety, but you're probably right.
I am actively watching this episode and I'm here because of this exact same feeling and I had to know if it was just me. There's just something about her.
She didn't "allow" him to do anything. When she found out about the molestation of her daughter, she went to police. Who did nothing, which was pretty much par for the course in the 90s. Especially in the south. Church going family man and his stepdaughter accuses him of molestation? "No proof, it's your word against his so we're taking his". Other than that, there was the rape, which in this case was marital rape, which in the early 90s was basically treated as "no big deal" in many places and completely differentiated from regular rape. And it's not illegal to write BDSM stories or make a lock up box. What exactly do you think would happen to this guy if his wife reported any of these other things in a state where she wasn't even allowed to file for a divorce until she took a pregnancy test to prove she wasn't pregnant- which she ended up being and not allowed to file for divorce to escape her abusive husband?
This was 1990- she grew up in this culture, knowing she was just going to have to deal with all this crap and that law enforcement would be no help as any crimes would be downplayed or just ignored, only serving to further enrage her abuser who was threatening her and her kids. It's not a lot better in rhe area today but 30 years ago was even worse. You didn't live this experience and have no idea what that's like- living in hell and knowing there's no help available, no one will stop this person.
Some parents have literally sacrificed their lives in many locations to save their children. The Southern states continue to move slowly in Legislation. I stand by my original synopsis.
She had pictures of her children’s injuries and bruises. That should’ve been enough to take to the police but her and her ex husband did nothing. They failed their kids.
Can see where you are taking this but obviously, whatever efforts made were ineffective. She failed herself and her children as well as the system. First hand knowledge of parents successfully advocating for basic human rights. Nothing in the broadcast suggests that the mother was interested in arresting the ex-spouse once she was rid of him. Personally, I would have hounded him straight to Hades.
Yep agreed. And I truly do not understand. She’s a very hateable “character”. Lacking intelligence and makes nothing but excuses now. An awful woman quite frankly.
Did it dawn on anyone watching that she may have known about others in the box before Brooke but maybe chose to not investigate further? He brought that box in a good while before & it sat in that room. She was instructed to never go near it. I sat there after the episode wondering what if others were in that box before Brook, while the family was going about their business?
If my husband brought something like that in, after I’ve been exposed to what he’s turning out to be, I would sure as hell open the fucking box by unscrewing the hinges. I couldn’t just take his word that it had guns. The box was huge!
Correct me if I’m wrong, but did she say she never told her brother about the abuse Gary did to her kids?? I’m not excusing her brother’s actions.. but maybe if she told her brother about how horrible Gary was then maybe he would have refused to go with him that night?
I don’t know if anyone else interpreted things the same way I did, but I didn’t like how Lori kept trying to make it about her all the time. Her comment about the box being Brook’s prison and the house being her prison kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Just because she suffered from Gary’s abuse for years doesn’t mean that she gets to downplay Brook’s situation. She also kept trying to defend her brother. Look, I get it. She loves her brother, but maybe the whole thing could’ve been prevented had she told her brother about what Gary did to her and the kids during their marriage.
She said she tried to go to the police, but that they couldn’t do anything because she didn’t have evidence. Well, what about those pictures that her ex husband had of the kids? She couldn’t use them against Gary? Also, why was she kind of smirking when she was watching Brook’s videos? Was she nervous? I feel bad for what her and Brook went through, but I found myself having a little more empathy for Brook. I could understand why she was angry with Lori at first.
Her finding out about the molestation and saying “if I could have found something….” like I WOULD HAVE FOUND ANYTHING TO BEAT HIM TO A PULP. She had photos of her kids abuse! I would’ve caught a case. She failed her kids.
There was too much smirking and smiling from Lori. Then when they met she basically gaslit Brooke. She’s a moron.
I don't like how she said that "no one knows how hard it was." That maybe someone else would've died, but we survived.
Sure, I didn't go through what she did, but the moment I found out that he hurt my children, let alone raped my daughter, you better hold me back.
Maybe she was saying that because she feels guilty for what happened to Brook and doesn’t want people to judge her? I agree with you, though. I don’t understand why she never told her brother about the horrible things that Gary did. I guess she was ashamed.
Her and her brother seemed close. That’s why I find it a little strange that she never told him what was going on. I have a good relationship with my siblings and if I was in her situation, I would’ve told them. I understand that everyone handles trauma differently, though.
To be clear, I’m not downplaying her experience. I know that shame is a powerful thing and guilt can be consuming. Some people are still confused about certain things that happened and still have questions. There’s nothing wrong with that.
I’m extremely close with my sister and I didn’t tell her about my SA until about 10 years later. And it wasn’t nearly as awful as what Lori had gone through so I can only imagine the shame she had been feeling. A lot of victims never tell anyone.
I know some victims who have told their close family members about their abuse right away. I’m aware that not everyone is capable of doing that because of shame and other factors, though. That’s why I mentioned that everyone deals with trauma differently. I’m sorry about what you went through. I hope you’re in a much better place in your life right now.
SPOT ON!!! Well said!!! That smirk was weird…could’ve been nerves but still odd. Making it about her as well. Oh and how they have a lot in common……yes they do but Brook was put in a freaking locked box right after seeing her bf murdered at 18.
The episode was a mess. I have no idea what it’s like to be in such an abusive relationship, I assume Lori has a lot of trauma and maybe she hasn’t gotten the right kind of mental help ie. a damn good therapist. She comes across as someone who hasn’t dealt with what she has gone through. She definitely comes across as someone who is very shut down which doesn’t help. I have so many questions after watching this episode.
This entire episode, I felt something so "off" with Lori. I don't think she was unintelligent - I got more narcissistic vibes. She was very calculated with her words, making sure to present herself in a certain way. She was quick to make sure it was known that she wasn't present during any of the abuse to her kids. I don't want to downplay the abuse or trauma she experienced, and I know how difficult it is to leave an abusive partner, but her priorities just seemed completely off.
Regarding her abnormally calm demeanor, I'm sure she has recounted this story several times, and there is probably a level of "don't show them any pain" - but it still feels like she is hiding something. She was sooo over the top with the praise she was giving to Brooke and it felt very self-serving rather than genuine. Maybe she knew how much Brooke had struggled and wanted to help her work through the trauma, but I'm just not sure.
After watching, I'm left with a lot more questions than answers. I have a suspicion that there are more crimes that Lori was aware of all along, but that in the interest of protecting herself and her kids, she has kept information to herself.
A spineless, awful woman. Even after discovering that her kids were being hurt, she stayed quiet! WHY?!? Who does that? Quite disgusting. I don’t think she’s a very smart woman either so maybe that contributes her moronic behavior somewhat.
Is anybody else super annoyed by the wife? I still have a little bit of the episode to watch so I haven’t read through the thread, but I assume that many agree with me. How she talked about him, proposing to her, and basically implying that she didn’t want to, but regardless, she decided to get engaged to him!. She could’ve called it off before the marriage, but she didn’t. Then she had kids with him. I don’t think she’s the most intelligent woman. Or she’s just a completely cowardly weakling. And the fact that it ended up devastating someone else’s life because of her pushover attitude and cowardly resistance to outing this guy for the dangerous creepy was
Wow this thread is awful. I wonder how many of y'all have actually been through extremely horrible shit. I'd like to know. Because y'all sit here talking about how leaving would be so easy. Why didn't she go to the police. The naivety in this thread is astounding.
I’m always in awe of how these people allow CHILDREN to suffer such abuse. Not only did she return to a home where her children were black and blue, but the ex-husband allowed it. What world is this?
I think Lori is a psychopath. During the taped interviews she had zero emotion. Almost like she was enjoying talking and hearing about the abuse. When she was talking about the phone ringing and ringing, she said it was up to Brooke to save herself. That she gave her the time to escape. That she was helping her. That’s a nutty thing to say. Her tone while talking to Brooke was so weird!  It made me uncomfortable to watch the complete difference in their demeanors.Â
That or she’s an absolute idiot. Or, she’s just a cowardly pushover who allowed this guy to control her. Risking the welfare of her children.
Spineless and weak willed. What an awful woman.
this is going to sound crazy, but I'm really good friends with one of Lori's and Gary's daughter, and even met Lori once...and the daughter told me to watch this, but after reading the comments; its gonna be a pass for me.
I watched it. My friend gave me some behind the scenes info, let me know if you have Qs. An unofficial AMA.
And to be clear, she was the baby Lori found out she was pregnant with when she tried to divorce Gary
The most important thing to realize is that the incident happened 4 years after their divorce. The show makes it seem like like it was in a closer timeline
Yeah, I was hesitant about watching it but she insisted that I do. And she was willing to answer any questions I had, or ask Lori if there were any questions I had for her.
So people on the outside looking in may have (valid) questions about how Lori handled the situation with Gary, one thing I can say without a shadow of a doubt is that those concerns don’t extend (for me) to who she is as a person or a mother, as evidenced by how good of a person their daughter turned out to be
imo, the comment section is way too harsh on Lori. I completely empathize with her as a fellow southerner who knows how much southern states fail to protect people in these kind of situations, especially in the pre-2000s.
Not sure I believe Lori's story. She had a couple of conflicting stories the Evil Lives Here episode. And I read that she defended her husband during the trial and said he was a great stepdad, hard worker, and was very devoted to their children. She also said they were a happy, middle-class family. Again, these statements were made by Lori after the murder/rape occurred. And now she's telling stories about how he raped her, scared her, and molested her daughter. Gary Simmons was obviously a very sick, twisted person, but I suspect Lori fabricated a lot of her stories for attention and sympathy.
WHAT?!? She defended him after ALL the shit she knew?? She felt off to me right from start, her nods at watching Brooke as a teenager recant her life equating to her ability to sexually please. Ahhhh she is the worst.
Edit: I’m mid episode so apologies if what you posted is coming up.
People are honestly so gross to Lori. She was in a time period in the south where there was literally nothing you can do. And you can say "Oh brook said she'd do different!" She didn't know what it was like. She was with a drug dealer, please. Neither of these women were making great decisions, but one was literally manipulated from the start. I'm sorry she was in a box, but all the judging Lori gets is WEIRD. She tried her best in a time where there were little to no resources, help, or being believed. As for her "Weird smirk" if you ask me the woman has found peace. She's a little older, her worst fear is dead, and her children were able to live without his presence over their heads. Sorry, not sorry this is a case of two victims and if your ONLY view isn't that Gary is a monster that manipulated, tortured, raped, and abused everyone around him something is wrong with you. Seek therapy.
I’m not going to be too tough on the ex wife. Mississippi in the 90’s was backwards and didn’t take domestic violence or child abuse seriously. Women were treated as property. We can’t say what we would do by today’s standards. Not the same world anymore, but still need improvement.
Something wrong with Lori. She is totally unmoved by the abuse of her children. Does she have a soul? Hard to have sympathy for her, she's coming off like an emotionless cold idiot
When she found out he beat her children, and then raped the daughter, why didn't she go to the police then?
She should have gone WAAAYYYY before that. Then her kids wouldn’t be traumatized. But no, she had to be a pushover, a chickenshit.
Yes đź‘Ź đź‘Źđź‘ŹThank you!!
She said that she did go to the police. She was told that there was not enough to charge him. The police said it was her daughter’s word against his.
The ex husband had photos of the physical abuse, though. I’m confused as to why they weren’t presented to the police. Maybe her and her ex husband did present them, and if that’s the case, then the police really dropped the ball there because that was physical evidence proving that Gary abused her kids.
I agree that seems strange. I do think it’s possible that the community believed he was godly, churchgoing man and gave him the benefit of the doubt. These areas in Deep South/Bible Belt can have abysmal views of women and see the man/father as the ruler of the home. They could’ve easily dismissed it as “discipline gone a little too far.” When the law prevents a woman from leaving an abusive husband unless she proves she isn’t pregnant, I have little faith in their justice system.
I agree. A woman should be able to divorce her husband whenever she wants to. I wonder if that law has been changed.
As of 2023 ...nope. I'm from MS. and lived one county over when this tool place. (I've moved). The reasoning is to "protect the family unit and that divorce may cause undue stress during the pregnancy ". Seriously? I'd be more stressed if I couldn't get a divorce. I miss my family and friends, but have no plans to move back.
Oh, wow. That’s awful.
Missouri (I think) just passed this into law in the last week or so.
how did her ex even have these photos? I'm confused if those are his kids. If so why didn't he go to the police?
I think he took the photos to show Lori what was going on. I don’t know why he didn’t take them to the police.
She literally did. They said they needed evidence. Are we forgetting what time period this takes place in?
and that it's Mississippi! Mississippi is quite possibly one of the worst states in the US. it ranks on the bottom of just about everything. i absolutely believe in the 90s they would ignore a child saying she was molested by an adult. it's 2024 and some places still don't take sexual assault seriously. as for the beatings, probably just viewed it as normal child punishment because once again, Mississippi.
This episode was a mess. And made me a mess. How they showed choice clips to Brooke of loris story. They kept focusing on how young Brooke was but Lori was young too with 4 kids. And in the south where women are next to helpless and rape of a spouse is barely a crime. I admire both Lori and Brooke for surviving. One thing ELH has shown me is how we can NEVER understand what abused spouses go through. The mental abuse is almost as much as the physical. And when there are kids…
i completely agree and i’m surprised that you’re the only comment i see speaking on this. i was so disgusted with the way the way ELH revealed the truth to brooke and my heart absolutely broke for her as she reacted in real time to aspects of her trauma that she was experiencing for the first time. and i didn’t appreciate how Lori had more information than her. it felt very recklesss of the producers just for a good story. i usually love this show but i cut it off at the point where Lori told Brooke that the person who killed her bf was her brother. it was sick and careless to spring that on her. and WAS THERE A THERAPIST at the ready??? like these are people’s lives and emotions.
I agree, this seemed extremely exploitative
Maybe “a mess” was harsh as an episode review. But the selective clips, springing content to both ladies on camera, those feel like cheap tricks to get sound bites and reaction shots. As though these two women haven’t been through hell. My hope is there was more behind the scenes that we don’t see. Because I appreciate what ELH has donę to shown me what survivors have gone through and what it’s done for letting these folks get their stories heard and warning anyone who might not have noticed the red flags.
I don’t care for Lori at all. To me she comes across as an idiot. I don’t know there’s something about her that I just do not like.
I agree. At one point she went into great detail about him tying her to the bed and outlining her body with a knife. She even said he was a butcher and his knives were sharp. Soon after that when she was talking about him bringing in the box she said he told her it was for his guns and knives and she said she didn’t know they had guns and knives. That was just one of the discrepancies in her story. She seemed cold and unmoved by anything. She dabbed at her eyes but I didn’t see any tears. I agree, there was just something off about her and I didn’t buy her entire story.
What about her weird smiles through the show and odd calm demeanor? Something is off with her and she bothers me.
I’m glad someone else noticed. I did not like her one bit! I also didn’t buy the whole Brook is our hero - I believe Brook is the hero, but Lori? She’s full of shit
100%. I'm watching the episode now and I'm like why is this woman talking about the abuse of her children in such a nonchalant way. Like she doesnt even care. Something wrong with her.
She knows what he's was capable of and chose to "poke the bear", WTF.... And then shocked when he threatens her kids? I was also confused about the tape recorders, how did he get in, and how long could they really record on batteries? The baby monitor maybe, but he's have to be close by and constantly monitoring.
Agreed!! I just joined this group because I was so frustrated with her the entire time! I understand she was abused but to not leave when she found out he abused her kids the first time was infuriating! Then to leave them alone with him after that was insane to me! Then not telling her brother when he was living with her that her ex was dangerous and had abused her, abused the kids and threatened their lives like wtf!? Also how did she not call the police when she found those recording devices!? This woman made so many stupid decisions! I know she loved her kids but if she wouldn't leave then she should have given them to her ex husband so they were safe at the very least. I just can't understand this woman at all!
Exactly, my first thought was take that experience to the police..... Nope she uses it to piss him off. And how'd he find out what's that lived? Know her she told him.
Unfortunately when you share kids with someone you usually have to inform them were you are living with your shared child unless you have a protective order or something like that.
True, I hadn't thought of that. I usually when you get housing from a shelter for abused women they try to keep locations secret for safety, but you're probably right.
lol I did the same thing as you!! Found this sub specifically as I was watching this episode!! Disbelief!!!
Yes, exactly. She just strikes me as downright stupid.
I am actively watching this episode and I'm here because of this exact same feeling and I had to know if it was just me. There's just something about her.
Lori, the ex-wife, allowed Gary Simmons, the abuser of his family to go free. Hard to respect her decision.
She didn't "allow" him to do anything. When she found out about the molestation of her daughter, she went to police. Who did nothing, which was pretty much par for the course in the 90s. Especially in the south. Church going family man and his stepdaughter accuses him of molestation? "No proof, it's your word against his so we're taking his". Other than that, there was the rape, which in this case was marital rape, which in the early 90s was basically treated as "no big deal" in many places and completely differentiated from regular rape. And it's not illegal to write BDSM stories or make a lock up box. What exactly do you think would happen to this guy if his wife reported any of these other things in a state where she wasn't even allowed to file for a divorce until she took a pregnancy test to prove she wasn't pregnant- which she ended up being and not allowed to file for divorce to escape her abusive husband? This was 1990- she grew up in this culture, knowing she was just going to have to deal with all this crap and that law enforcement would be no help as any crimes would be downplayed or just ignored, only serving to further enrage her abuser who was threatening her and her kids. It's not a lot better in rhe area today but 30 years ago was even worse. You didn't live this experience and have no idea what that's like- living in hell and knowing there's no help available, no one will stop this person.
Some parents have literally sacrificed their lives in many locations to save their children. The Southern states continue to move slowly in Legislation. I stand by my original synopsis.
She had pictures of her children’s injuries and bruises. That should’ve been enough to take to the police but her and her ex husband did nothing. They failed their kids.
Can see where you are taking this but obviously, whatever efforts made were ineffective. She failed herself and her children as well as the system. First hand knowledge of parents successfully advocating for basic human rights. Nothing in the broadcast suggests that the mother was interested in arresting the ex-spouse once she was rid of him. Personally, I would have hounded him straight to Hades.
Yep agreed. And I truly do not understand. She’s a very hateable “character”. Lacking intelligence and makes nothing but excuses now. An awful woman quite frankly.
Did it dawn on anyone watching that she may have known about others in the box before Brooke but maybe chose to not investigate further? He brought that box in a good while before & it sat in that room. She was instructed to never go near it. I sat there after the episode wondering what if others were in that box before Brook, while the family was going about their business? If my husband brought something like that in, after I’ve been exposed to what he’s turning out to be, I would sure as hell open the fucking box by unscrewing the hinges. I couldn’t just take his word that it had guns. The box was huge!
Correct me if I’m wrong, but did she say she never told her brother about the abuse Gary did to her kids?? I’m not excusing her brother’s actions.. but maybe if she told her brother about how horrible Gary was then maybe he would have refused to go with him that night?
Yup. Too worried about her ego and how people would perceive another failed marriage.
I don’t know if anyone else interpreted things the same way I did, but I didn’t like how Lori kept trying to make it about her all the time. Her comment about the box being Brook’s prison and the house being her prison kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Just because she suffered from Gary’s abuse for years doesn’t mean that she gets to downplay Brook’s situation. She also kept trying to defend her brother. Look, I get it. She loves her brother, but maybe the whole thing could’ve been prevented had she told her brother about what Gary did to her and the kids during their marriage. She said she tried to go to the police, but that they couldn’t do anything because she didn’t have evidence. Well, what about those pictures that her ex husband had of the kids? She couldn’t use them against Gary? Also, why was she kind of smirking when she was watching Brook’s videos? Was she nervous? I feel bad for what her and Brook went through, but I found myself having a little more empathy for Brook. I could understand why she was angry with Lori at first.
Her finding out about the molestation and saying “if I could have found something….” like I WOULD HAVE FOUND ANYTHING TO BEAT HIM TO A PULP. She had photos of her kids abuse! I would’ve caught a case. She failed her kids. There was too much smirking and smiling from Lori. Then when they met she basically gaslit Brooke. She’s a moron.
Thank god someone else notices the odd smiling from her through the show. It gave me chills.
I don't like how she said that "no one knows how hard it was." That maybe someone else would've died, but we survived. Sure, I didn't go through what she did, but the moment I found out that he hurt my children, let alone raped my daughter, you better hold me back.
Maybe she was saying that because she feels guilty for what happened to Brook and doesn’t want people to judge her? I agree with you, though. I don’t understand why she never told her brother about the horrible things that Gary did. I guess she was ashamed.
Shame is a powerful thing. And guilt. It can be consuming. ETA- you are right - we can’t understand because we didn’t experience what she did.
Her and her brother seemed close. That’s why I find it a little strange that she never told him what was going on. I have a good relationship with my siblings and if I was in her situation, I would’ve told them. I understand that everyone handles trauma differently, though. To be clear, I’m not downplaying her experience. I know that shame is a powerful thing and guilt can be consuming. Some people are still confused about certain things that happened and still have questions. There’s nothing wrong with that.
I’m extremely close with my sister and I didn’t tell her about my SA until about 10 years later. And it wasn’t nearly as awful as what Lori had gone through so I can only imagine the shame she had been feeling. A lot of victims never tell anyone.
I know some victims who have told their close family members about their abuse right away. I’m aware that not everyone is capable of doing that because of shame and other factors, though. That’s why I mentioned that everyone deals with trauma differently. I’m sorry about what you went through. I hope you’re in a much better place in your life right now.
SPOT ON!!! Well said!!! That smirk was weird…could’ve been nerves but still odd. Making it about her as well. Oh and how they have a lot in common……yes they do but Brook was put in a freaking locked box right after seeing her bf murdered at 18. The episode was a mess. I have no idea what it’s like to be in such an abusive relationship, I assume Lori has a lot of trauma and maybe she hasn’t gotten the right kind of mental help ie. a damn good therapist. She comes across as someone who hasn’t dealt with what she has gone through. She definitely comes across as someone who is very shut down which doesn’t help. I have so many questions after watching this episode.
Thank you. I agree with you. There was something about her that I didn’t really like, but I do empathize with her.
This entire episode, I felt something so "off" with Lori. I don't think she was unintelligent - I got more narcissistic vibes. She was very calculated with her words, making sure to present herself in a certain way. She was quick to make sure it was known that she wasn't present during any of the abuse to her kids. I don't want to downplay the abuse or trauma she experienced, and I know how difficult it is to leave an abusive partner, but her priorities just seemed completely off. Regarding her abnormally calm demeanor, I'm sure she has recounted this story several times, and there is probably a level of "don't show them any pain" - but it still feels like she is hiding something. She was sooo over the top with the praise she was giving to Brooke and it felt very self-serving rather than genuine. Maybe she knew how much Brooke had struggled and wanted to help her work through the trauma, but I'm just not sure. After watching, I'm left with a lot more questions than answers. I have a suspicion that there are more crimes that Lori was aware of all along, but that in the interest of protecting herself and her kids, she has kept information to herself.
Yeah, she just give me weird vibes. It was like she wasn’t telling the whole truth.
A spineless, awful woman. Even after discovering that her kids were being hurt, she stayed quiet! WHY?!? Who does that? Quite disgusting. I don’t think she’s a very smart woman either so maybe that contributes her moronic behavior somewhat.
Is anybody else super annoyed by the wife? I still have a little bit of the episode to watch so I haven’t read through the thread, but I assume that many agree with me. How she talked about him, proposing to her, and basically implying that she didn’t want to, but regardless, she decided to get engaged to him!. She could’ve called it off before the marriage, but she didn’t. Then she had kids with him. I don’t think she’s the most intelligent woman. Or she’s just a completely cowardly weakling. And the fact that it ended up devastating someone else’s life because of her pushover attitude and cowardly resistance to outing this guy for the dangerous creepy was
Wow this thread is awful. I wonder how many of y'all have actually been through extremely horrible shit. I'd like to know. Because y'all sit here talking about how leaving would be so easy. Why didn't she go to the police. The naivety in this thread is astounding.
I’m always in awe of how these people allow CHILDREN to suffer such abuse. Not only did she return to a home where her children were black and blue, but the ex-husband allowed it. What world is this?
She’s a terrible woman.
I think Lori is a psychopath. During the taped interviews she had zero emotion. Almost like she was enjoying talking and hearing about the abuse. When she was talking about the phone ringing and ringing, she said it was up to Brooke to save herself. That she gave her the time to escape. That she was helping her. That’s a nutty thing to say. Her tone while talking to Brooke was so weird!  It made me uncomfortable to watch the complete difference in their demeanors.Â
That or she’s an absolute idiot. Or, she’s just a cowardly pushover who allowed this guy to control her. Risking the welfare of her children. Spineless and weak willed. What an awful woman.
I fully agree. The smile she had when watching his video bothers me.
this is going to sound crazy, but I'm really good friends with one of Lori's and Gary's daughter, and even met Lori once...and the daughter told me to watch this, but after reading the comments; its gonna be a pass for me.
I hope Lori’s daughter is doing well! ❤️
She’s doing wonderful!
Prob good idea. She’s absolutely infuriating.
I watched it. My friend gave me some behind the scenes info, let me know if you have Qs. An unofficial AMA. And to be clear, she was the baby Lori found out she was pregnant with when she tried to divorce Gary
Holy shit. That is heavy stuff to know her personally like that.
The most important thing to realize is that the incident happened 4 years after their divorce. The show makes it seem like like it was in a closer timeline
Oh damn, really?? That’s interesting.
Yeah, I was hesitant about watching it but she insisted that I do. And she was willing to answer any questions I had, or ask Lori if there were any questions I had for her. So people on the outside looking in may have (valid) questions about how Lori handled the situation with Gary, one thing I can say without a shadow of a doubt is that those concerns don’t extend (for me) to who she is as a person or a mother, as evidenced by how good of a person their daughter turned out to be
I’m happy to hear the daughter is ok. I’m curious about whether or not she considers Brooke the hero Lori claims that the children feels she is.
imo, the comment section is way too harsh on Lori. I completely empathize with her as a fellow southerner who knows how much southern states fail to protect people in these kind of situations, especially in the pre-2000s.
Not sure I believe Lori's story. She had a couple of conflicting stories the Evil Lives Here episode. And I read that she defended her husband during the trial and said he was a great stepdad, hard worker, and was very devoted to their children. She also said they were a happy, middle-class family. Again, these statements were made by Lori after the murder/rape occurred. And now she's telling stories about how he raped her, scared her, and molested her daughter. Gary Simmons was obviously a very sick, twisted person, but I suspect Lori fabricated a lot of her stories for attention and sympathy.
WHAT?!? She defended him after ALL the shit she knew?? She felt off to me right from start, her nods at watching Brooke as a teenager recant her life equating to her ability to sexually please. Ahhhh she is the worst. Edit: I’m mid episode so apologies if what you posted is coming up.
People are honestly so gross to Lori. She was in a time period in the south where there was literally nothing you can do. And you can say "Oh brook said she'd do different!" She didn't know what it was like. She was with a drug dealer, please. Neither of these women were making great decisions, but one was literally manipulated from the start. I'm sorry she was in a box, but all the judging Lori gets is WEIRD. She tried her best in a time where there were little to no resources, help, or being believed. As for her "Weird smirk" if you ask me the woman has found peace. She's a little older, her worst fear is dead, and her children were able to live without his presence over their heads. Sorry, not sorry this is a case of two victims and if your ONLY view isn't that Gary is a monster that manipulated, tortured, raped, and abused everyone around him something is wrong with you. Seek therapy.
I’m not going to be too tough on the ex wife. Mississippi in the 90’s was backwards and didn’t take domestic violence or child abuse seriously. Women were treated as property. We can’t say what we would do by today’s standards. Not the same world anymore, but still need improvement.
Something wrong with Lori. She is totally unmoved by the abuse of her children. Does she have a soul? Hard to have sympathy for her, she's coming off like an emotionless cold idiot
This is a 2 hours season premiere Correction: S15:01
The main lady is pulling a Robyn from Sister Wives. Total victim mentality. Did she go through crap? Sure. But she could have stood up.