By now you all have heard the story of Chad Johnson a.k.a .'Ochocinco' and Evelyn Lozada of 'Basketball Wives' fame and the domestic incident that led to a gash and stitches, then the loss of Chad's job with the Miami Dolphins.
Now-there are all sorts of stories out there about the genesis for the fight that led to the 'gash' on Lozada's forehead, but I wasn't in the car with them-so I don't know if it was really over a receipt for condoms or what. But what I do know is that while this may lead to the decline of one person's career, it may be a major stepping stone for another. Let me explain...
First of all, let me state emphatically that I do not condone domestic violence of any kind-regardless of the perpetrator man or woman. Physical and/or verbal abuse are both no-goes in my book.
Here we have Chad, who by various accounts is a laid-back, easygoing guy. We've witnessed his silliness, philanthropic ways and willingness to be self-deprecating at times. He doesn't drink, and has not been known to have any off the field issues of any sort.
Then we have Evelyn, who rose to 'stardom' via 'reality-television' as a basketball 'wife'. I use the term 'wife' very loosely in this case due to the fact that she was never married and neither are majority of the women featured on the show. She was the hot and feisty Latina(that's not stereotypical at all!) who had a quick temper and would curse you out or throw a glass at you if she was upset.
Hmm...
This leads me to wonder, was Chad really the aggressor in this situation? Unfortunately, in cases of domestic violence it is automatically assumed that the male is the guilty party, though that is not always the case. According to many scientific studies, about two in five victims of domestic violence are men. Let's give this some thought. Evelyn has a history of violence, at least we've seen some of her aggressive acts on TV, why didn't the media jump to Chad's defense? Why did the Dolphins act so swiftly to release him without all the facts? Apparently, the Dolphins didn't want all of the 'drama' that accompanied Chad and his new wife. VH1 dropped their reality wedding show. VH1? Haven't they recently built their brand off of physical attacks on shows?
Today, Lozada released a statement saying that Chad needed 'help' and no woman should be subjected to domestic violence. I agree, however, I have a difficult time embracing this from someone who has built their relative 'career' off of aggressive acts and intimidation all of sudden turning about face to what she's well known for. Not saying it can't be done, just saying.
Chad's career might be over now, none of us are quite sure. The justice system has to run it's course first.Then there's Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL. He may suspend Chad as well. This can be done when the player is without a team. Who knows where Chad goes from here.
Evelyn's star may actually be rising though. Maybe she uses this as an opportunity to re-brand herself or get another show. Who knows? One thing is for sure, people are wondering if the couple can work through this. Will we ever get the truth? If Chad is guilty will he own up to it, will Evelyn if she is?
What I do know is this; violence cannot be accepted in any form. Whether it's domestic. Whether it's a man attacking a woman. Whether it's a woman attacking a man; or whether it's a woman attacking another woman with a drink or grabbing her hair and calling her a b*tch because it makes for good ratings on a TV network.
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