“When Reality Strikes: The Bizarre Morning After a Shocking Betrayal”

I’m not sure how to start this without sounding completely ridiculous, but here we go: imagine waking up in the middle of the night to find that your spouse has literally removed part of your anatomy. Now, I know we’ve all had our share of relationship disputes, but John Bobbitt’s experience takes the cake—or should we say the severed piece of anatomy? This shocking incident, described by Bobbitt as “something out of a horror movie,” is far from a trivial matter. It serves as a disturbing example of domestic strife spiraling into violence and raises challenging questions about the nature of relationship dynamics. Shortly after saying “I do” in 1989, John and Lorena Gallo’s marriage devolved into accusations of abuse, jealousy, and much more. While it might seem like a bizarre plot twist pulled from a dark comedy, this tale reflects deeper issues that many face behind closed doors. The intricacies of this case have been explored in the documentary, I Cut Off His Penis: The Truth Behind The Headlines, and it forces us to confront uncomfortable truths about love, betrayal, and the dire consequences of unchecked conflict. If this has piqued your curiosity, check out the full story to uncover all the shocking details. LEARN MORE

Warning: This article contains discussions of domestic violence and rape which some readers may find distressing.

A man who woke up to discover that his wife had cut off his penis described the moment as ‘something out of a horror movie’.

US marine John Bobbitt had first met Lorena Gallo in 1988 and they got married the following year, but the relationship was not a happy one as you might have guessed from the premise of this article.

Lorena claimed that her husband hit her a month into their marriage while he alleged that he was ‘subduing’ her and accused her of being the violent one, claiming his wife was ‘jealous and possessive’ and that if she was upset he would get a punch as a result.

There were numerous complaints of domestic violence from their home and at one point both of them were charged with assault and battery.

She claimed that her husband was ‘excited by violent sex’, forced her into having sex and raped her on multiple occasions, all of which he denies.

Lorena was put on trial, but found not guilty due to temporary insanity (Consolidated News/Getty Images)

The ITV documentary I Cut Off His Penis: The Truth Behind The Headlines covers the details of their relationship and is available to stream on ITV X, while it also delves into other similar cases around the world.

On the night of 22 June, 1993 Lorna claims she was woken up by a slamming door before her husband forced himself on her and raped her, John claims that she was already awake in bed and was the one who made advances on him despite him being ‘exhausted’ and didn’t know what happened because he was in a ‘deep sleep’.

She said that she went to the kitchen to get some water and came back with a knife, saying she pulled back the bedsheets and cut off his penis.

When John woke up and realised that his penis had been cut off he was rather shocked by the ordeal.

He said: “I sprung up and I was bleeding, I was applying pressure, then immediately I thought it was something out of a horror movie,

“A nightmare… turned into reality.”

John Bobbitt said that when he woke up ‘it was something out of a horror movie’ (Jeffrey Markowitz/Sygma via Getty Images)

Lorena fled the scene with the kitchen knife in one hand and her husband’s severed penis in the other, she would throw the dismembered member into a field and then tell the police what she had done.

John was taken to hospital and his penis was retrieved by police from the field it had been thrown into, the phallus was put on ice and after a nine-and-a-half hour operation it was surgically reattached.

Both of them were put on trial, as Lorena was charged with malicious wounding and John was charged with marital sexual assault.

He pleaded not guilty after being arrested based on Lorena’s claims that he raped her, and he was acquitted in 1993.

She pleaded not guilty by reason of temporary insanity and this was the verdict the jury delivered in 1994, with her being ordered to spend five weeks at a mental hospital.

Reflecting on it all Lorena said that they were both ‘victims of a tragic situation’, an assessment John didn’t agree with as he responded by saying: “I don’t believe that. I don’t believe she was a victim. No. She was just greedy, selfish and she was stubborn.”