BRADRICK! Divorce Part 2

[Destiny]

Kelly and Peter Bradrick are divorcing. Relevant info:

 

[Jasmar]

Naive I am, because I always thought this picture was just Doug Phillips being no respecter of personal space. (Disclaimer: no evidence, of course, has been presented that this particular duo was anything but master and slave).

Yeah, $225 per kid. Same thing happened to me, after 20 years of marriage (where I stayed home to raise the kids), and a husband who made something between 75k-100k, but was very talented at hiding it. And who could afford a $400/hr attorney, while mine was Legal Aid.

Divorce court is the worst. I hope the kids don't suffocate under the Browns. It ha s to be something really, really bad to keep Peter at such a distance, metaphorically speaking. Kids that young are almost never completely separated from a parent.

[Cleopatra7]

It's a sad commentary on the nature of fundie scandals when you have to think to yourself, "I at least hope the people Peter were cheating with were consensual adults and not individuals who were unable to give consent or otherwise incapacitated." If Peter really did cheat with men, I wonder if that allowed Kelly a way out that she wouldn't have ordinary had if he had just cheated with women. If so, that's still a sad commentary on the fundie mindset, that Kelly would be expected to put up with Peter dragging dirt into her home as long as he was cheating with a woman.

[sparrow]

Ack!  This is what I get for slacking on my FJ reading.  I've been dying to see the full "Return of the Daughters" documentary, but it appears that my golden window of opportunity is over.  The link no longer works.  Does anyone know if it's available anywhere else?  Sigh...

[Marian the Librarian]

Yes, funny how the Botkins vaporized ROTD's existence on YouTube, huh?

You can buy a used copy on Amazon for as little as $2.50, plus shipping.

[Palimpsest]

4 minutes ago, Cleopatra7 said:

"I at least hope the people Peter were cheating with were consensual adults and not individuals who were unable to give consent or otherwise incapacitated."

Yes.  To make people feel a bit better, my source did not say that anything they had heard indicated that Peter was involved with any minors or people unable to consent.

Peter's admission to cheating with both men and women was central to the story, and I later confirmed it with another person who had heard the same rumor.

Just to be clear, I consider my original source very reliable and I believe they were telling me the truth as they perceive it.  However, when it came to some of the details that I am not sharing, their sources (while also reliable) were 2nd and 3rd hand.  Games of telephone are not always accurate and sometimes things can get exaggerated.

[nickelodeon]

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR.

I'm not sure what to say. Besides "being placed at the center of an elaborate world domination plot involving weaponized heterosexual reproduction can really fuck a person up."

[Palimpsest]

I bet Doug Phillips (who is the Ultimate Tool) is doing Snoopy's Happy Dance of Joy at the Fall of Bradrick.

That alone angers me beyond belief.

[smittykins]

HO. LEE. SHIT.

That's all I can say. 

[EowynW]

I remember once telling my Mom in desperation that it would be good for most girls to get some sort of education or experience to fall back on in case their husbands died, turned out bad and they were divorced, etc. And she just said that oh no, that's really rare and if you do things God's way then that really doesn't happen much.

These people did things "God's way" and look what happened. My heart breaks for this woman even though I don't know her.

[nokidsmom]

@Palimpsest, as soon as I read about what Bradrick! had been up to, the first thing I thought of was of DPIAT squeeing with glee over "The Destroyer" getting his comeuppance.  

Since learning that Kelly had moved back to NC with the kids, I had a feeling that she had been granted full custody but didn't want to speculate when the first thread turned to divorce / custody laws in WA.   Even so, I was leaning more toward financial reasons, that it wasn't feasible for Peter to adequately support Kelly and 6 kids so he agreed for their sakes, not necessarily that Peter had been doing anything wrong.   The supervised visitation surprises me.  I would have not expected that at all.

I don't see being gay or bi as a personal failing but know it's considered such in VF circles so hope that Peter is not being made to pay strictly because of that.  Seems there are other factors though.  

Such a sad situation all around.

 

 

 

19 minutes ago, EowynW said:

I remember once telling my Mom in desperation that it would be good for most girls to get some sort of education or experience to fall back on in case their husbands died, turned out bad and they were divorced, etc. And she just said that oh no, that's really rare and if you do things God's way then that really doesn't happen much.

Even my mother, who would never consider divorce for herself because of her religious beliefs, encouraged me and my sisters to get an education for this very reason.  She saw too many women of her generation struggle after a spouse's death or a divorce and many of them were from our church BTW.

[EowynW]

Yes and we intend to do the same with our girls if we ever have them. I don't want them being raised with major disadvantages like I was.

[Red Hair, Black Dress]

if I were Kelly, at this moment I'd be confronting Scottie in a very loud, un-submissive daughter voice about whether he knew about Bradrick!'s bi & gay life and if he hid it from me.

Scottie spent hours and hours and hours with Bradrick! discussing everything patriarchal/ marriage/ dominionist under the sun.  Unless Peter is an accomplished actor, some hint had to have appeared.  If it did Scottie probably counseled him to pray more and harder and resist Satan's temptations.

Kelly got sold off to a man who didn't particularly want to be with her, except as a means to help him get over his gay feelings and as a beard to cover his cheating.

So Kelly wasted 10 years in a marriage that never should have happened.  It's tragic for everyone that Peter didn't feel able to be open about his sexuality years ago and thereby spare himself and Kelly 10 wasted years.

But, here is where I'm not letting him off the hook.  He was an adult. He chose to lie about who he was.  He chose to marry Kelly and live a lie.  And he chose, because of their quiverful warrior for the Lord beliefs, to bring 6 children into that lie.

One day those children are going to learn all the details of the divorce, especially if going forward Bradrick! chooses to be open about his sexuality.

I seriously doubt that Kelly will marry again and especially not the "we're pretty sure he is" Natty Darnell. How can she ever believe anything a man says ever again.

While I believe DPIAT is doing the happy dance over Bradrick!'s downfall, he'd better hope there is no untold story about him and Peter that Peter could reveal.  Peter's got nothing to lose now.

The elder Bradricks must think they are in Hell -- a daughter who married a child molester who is in prison and a bi/ gay son.  I guess that homeschooling didn't work out quite the way they thought it would.

[danvillebelle]

IF Scottie counseled Bradrick! about dealing with feelings towards men, I think he did it from his own experience.  I really, really think Scottie is gay.

[nokidsmom]

8 minutes ago, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

The elder Bradricks must think they are in Hell -- a daughter who married a child molester who is in prison and a bi/ gay son.  I guess that homeschooling didn't work out quite the way they thought it would

Their heads must be spinning.   This was certainly not the life they envisioned for themselves and their kids.

[MamaJunebug]

I'm unable to find it now but a fascinating article told about a seemingly devout young Chasidic couple who have 5 or 7 children after marrying very young, and now the couple -- by  mutual agreement -- swing their little hearts out. 

They live in fear of getting caught and being shunned forever by family, but their way of life is worth it to them at this point. 

There are ways of dealing with arranged marriages (yes, dominionistic marriages are arranged) other than divorce. Just an observation. 

Kelly has been sold out and let down by the elders and males around her SO many times.  Scottie & The Fabulous Deb had better make things great for her and those innocent younglings.

That's all I have to say for now.   What a gut-punch series of surprises to read about, even for a old heathen insect like myself -- just think what it's been like for P&K. 

[sparrow]

1 hour ago, Marian the Librarian said:

Yes, funny how the Botkins vaporized ROTD's existence on YouTube, huh?

You can buy a used copy on Amazon for as little as $2.50, plus shipping.

Thanks Marian!  I'd been reluctant to give these people any money, even if to satisfy my morbid curiosity, but $2.50's not bad.

[LurkerOverThePond]

I'm pretty much... speechless. Feeling horrible for the kids, Kelly, and even a little bit for Peter.

[MamaJunebug]

37 minutes ago, sparrow said:

Thanks Marian!  I'd been reluctant to give these people any money, even if to satisfy my morbid curiosity, but $2.50's not bad.

Best part -- very likely the $2.50 you're paying probably doesn't go to a VF'er, and also likely it might be going to a VF refugee. 

[Lurky]

What's heart-breaking is that people who get married out of fear their sexuality will be discovered often do it because they're terrified of being cast out and losing all their family and friends.  But being Gay, or Bi, isn't a choice, and so often it ends with someone having an unhappy marriage, getting caught, and losing even more - but also having hurt a wife and kids...

[nausicaa]

Quote

 

If he's been a good dad, I feel sorry for the kids. No matter what we think of him, they'll miss him. If he hasn't been a good dad, and his treatment of them is a reason for the supervised visitation, then he's just a horrible person.

 

This is from @Fundiewonder 's post on the last thread.

I feel the same way. And I have to admit, I feel bad for the guy. I always feel terrible for kids who are gay and have to grow up in an atmosphere where they are taught to hate the essence of who they are. He was set up to fail by his family and the false promises of VF. Peter probably hoped that marrying the prettiest girl in fundiedom could cure him of any unwanted attractions. But the world, and human sexuality, just doesn't work that way.

And as you say, he might be a cheating piece of scum, but those little kids are going to miss their dad terribly and it will adversely affect them to really not have a dad in their lives.  Assuming he has been a good dad to them, he deserves to be more present than a Skype call every other week. I hope this isn't just an outgrowth of "gay= morally unfit" in the eyes of the legal parties here. 

Quote

I notice manchild Tsantles is one of the supervisors for his visits. None of Kelly's sisters are listed, but her brother and mother are.

I wonder if that's a patriarchy thing? The man is the leader of the household and so it's assumed the wife would be there as well? I also wonder if there's any suspicion that Peter would try to disobey the court ordered agreement, try to take the kids somewhere else, et cetera, and so they think a man being there is a better option in case things became very tense (either physical, or just the fact that in patriarchy a man's opinion is given more consideration).

[apandaaries]

1 hour ago, Red Hair, Black Dress said:

While I believe DPIAT is doing the happy dance over Bradrick!'s downfall, he'd better hope there is no untold story about him and Peter that Peter could reveal.  Peter's got nothing to lose now.

The elder Bradricks must think they are in Hell -- a daughter who married a child molester who is in prison and a bi/ gay son.  I guess that homeschooling didn't work out quite the way they thought it would.

Pretty curious about the first part as well.  Those manly adventures certainly had a homoerotic flair to them.  Part of me wonders if the repression was so overwhelming that all that happened was what we've picked up on photos; another part of me thinks about the many, many sexual scandals which occur in highly repressive, homophobic churches (ETA: or other places of worship). 

I can't imagine devoting my time on earth to this kind of restrictive, oppressive lifestyle, "training up" children & limiting their options in life, to see these kinds of situations occur.  Talk about a shitty return on investment.  

It's interesting to see the variations in states and courts regarding custody and supervised visits.  Here in CA, I can't imagine anyone getting supervised visitation because s/he was gay or bi -- which I've learned is different from the courts in SC.  The one person I do know who got supervised visitation (until dad just gave up) had to fight for it for years.  It was only after the ex (who'd had more than one DUI -- never with the kids in the car; not sure if that made the difference -- and wasn't allowed to be drinking) took the kids to a bar during one of his visits that he was forced to have supervised visits.  That mom had had to do some interesting detective work with GPS trackers and such, using the advice of some cop friends, to gather the evidence she needed.  

I'm not sure about WA, but that's a fairly liberal area, generally speaking.  What could have compelled the judge to make such orders?  If SC would order supervised visits due to a homosexual father, then it's possible, but horribly shitty.  I suppose that time will tell.

What a fucking shame that those two couldn't have had normal life experiences with typical experimentation with teens & young adults their own age.  People can only repress for so long.  Generation Fundy 2.0 is really producing some interesting outcomes.  

[nausicaa]

So finally picked my jaw off my desk and made it through the court filings. A few random things that jumped out at me:

1. Their "counselor" is some dude at Westside Baptist Church. a)  and b ) aren't the Browns/Bradricks pretty hardcore Calvinists? I'm very surprised at this choice.

2. Did VF bang the "no debt" gong the way Gothard does? They have $12,000 listed in debts, and some of that on two credit cards.

3. I really doubt we will see Kelly remarrying anytime soon. According to the agreement, she loses her $1,250 per month upon remarriage. That dude would have to make some damn good money to support the very fecund Kelly and her existing six kids, and the several they would likely have together.

 

[ladyamylynn]

Everyone's analysis has been pretty spot-on. Extreme repression and physical beatings cause pathological behavior! Quelle surprise!

[Georgiana]

8 minutes ago, amandaaries said:

Pretty curious about the first part as well.  Those manly adventures certainly had a homoerotic flair to them.  Part of me wonders if the repression was so overwhelming that all that happened was what we've picked up on photos; another part of me thinks about the many, many sexual scandals which occur in highly repressive, homophobic churches. 

I can't imagine devoting my time on earth to this kind of restrictive, oppressive lifestyle, "training up" children & limiting their options in life, to see these kinds of situations occur.  Talk about a shitty return on investment.  

It's interesting to see the variations in states and courts regarding custody and supervised visits.  Here in CA, I can't imagine anyone getting supervised visitation because s/he was gay or bi -- which I've learned is different from the courts in SC.  The one person I do know who got supervised visitation (until dad just gave up) had to fight for it for years.  It was only after the ex (who'd had more than one DUI -- never with the kids in the car; not sure if that made the difference -- and wasn't allowed to be drinking) took the kids to a bar during one of his visits that he was forced to have supervised visits.  That mom had had to do some interesting detective work with GPS trackers and such, using the advice of some cop friends, to gather the evidence she needed.  

I'm not sure about WA, but that's a fairly liberal area, generally speaking.  What could have compelled the judge to make such orders?  If SC would order supervised visits due to a homosexual father, then it's possible, but horribly shitty.  I suppose that time will tell.

What a fucking shame that those two couldn't have had normal life experiences with typical experimentation with teens & young adults their own age.  People can only repress for so long.  Generation Fundy 2.0 is really producing some interesting outcomes.  

I'm in WA.  I have seen WA (hetero) divorces where homosexual affairs were involved.  It does NOT lead to supervised visitation OR generally any penalties in the divorce.  

He did something bad.  He did something bad that likely somehow involved the kids.  Perhaps he had some of the young kids in the car when he was meeting up with his affair partners.  Perhaps he had them outside or in another room of the house while Peter was getting his jollies and someone got hurt.  While it is fine to hook up in the same room as a sleeping infant for example, some people don't understand when a line needs to be drawn and start to do the deed in front of their toddlers, etc.  Men in this culture are not raised to pay attention to the needs of children or understand what is/is not age appropriate for them.  I would not be shocked if Peter negligently crossed a line because he just doesn't get how much supervision a toddler requires, for example, or at what age a child can reasonably be left alone in a car.  

Supervised visitation is so much more than "You made poor choices".  Supervised visitation is "We think you are a danger to children and shouldn't be allowed to watch them".