A man who had his penis cut off by his wife had an interesting change in career after the incident, as he delved into adult films.
John Wayne Bobbitt became a household name in 1993 when his wife, Lorena Gallo, cut off his penis while he slept.
Bobbitt, now 57 and living in Las Vegas, was thrust into the public eye after the June 23, 1993, incident when Lorena used a butcher’s knife to sever his penis, per the Daily Mail.
The sensational case captured worldwide attention, and the term “Bobbitt,” meaning to "cut off a penis," even made its way into the Oxford English Dictionary.
Thanks to quick action by medical professionals, Bobbitt’s penis was successfully reattached during a nine-hour surgery.
Lorena, who claimed years of physical and sexual abuse drove her to the act, was acquitted of malicious wounding by reason of temporary insanity in 1994.
Bobbitt, however, has always denied her allegations. The couple's divorce was finalized the following year.
In an unusual twist, Bobbitt then pursued a brief career in the adult film industry. He starred in a p*rnographic film titled John Wayne Bobbitt: Uncut, which was directed by well-known p*rn actor Ron Jeremy.
Bobbitt and Jeremy reportedly met at a party, sparking the idea for the film.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Bobbitt explained his reasoning behind entering the adult film industry, saying: "A p*rno seemed like the best way to show my penis worked. Only it wasn’t all-the-way healed yet. I realize now that that was the point."
Bobbitt’s career move came under widespread criticism. Before the film’s premiere, Bobbitt was nearly absent due to his conviction in 1994 for misdemeanor battery against his then-girlfriend, Kristina Elliott. He served 60 days in jail for the incident.
The film itself was heavily criticized.
In a 2016 interview with People, Bobbitt explained why he made the films, saying: "The public were curious about whether I still had sexual function."
However, earlier this year, Bobbitt revealed that he had lost more body parts - this time all 10 of his toes - due to complications from toxic peripheral polyneuropathy, a condition linked to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, a military base where he was stationed in the late 1980s.
The condition led to the gradual amputation of his toes over several years, with the final digits being removed in 2023.
Now, Bobbitt uses special prosthetic shoes and suffers from chronic infections and painful skin issues.
He told The Sun that his exposure to the toxic chemicals at Camp Lejeune may have also affected his cognitive functioning and mental well-being, which he believes could have played a role in his troubled relationship with Lorena.
"I wasn't behaving the way I should have. Maybe I would have made better decisions if my cognitive functioning wasn't distorted by the chemicals," he said.
The contamination at Camp Lejeune has been described as "one of the worst water contamination cases in U.S. history," involving toxic chemicals being dumped into local storm drains between 1952 and 1987, contaminating the water supply for 35 years.
Bobbitt said: "They knew. They were testing the water and it was up to 3,500 times above normal safety standards."
If you're in the UK and want to learn more about Bobbit and his story, a new ITV documentary titled: I Cut Off His Penis: The Truth Behind the Headlines, airs tonight at 9:00PM.
