Mary Kay Letourneau's Former Husband Vili Fualauu Reacts to 'May December' Being Inspired By His Real-Life Relationship
The late Mary Kay Letourneau‘s former partner Vili Fualaau is reacting to May December.
In the Todd Haynes movie, Natalie Portman plays Elizabeth Berry, an actress researching a married couple with a scandalous past similar to the real-life case of the former teacher and student.
Screenwriter Samy Burch cited the case as her inspiration. However, no one involved in the production apparently reached out to Vili, who inspired Charles Melton‘s Joe Yoo.
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In the movie, Joe is 13 when he is seduced by Julianne Moore’s 36-year-old character. Vili was 12 when 34-year-old Mary Kay Letourneau first victimized him in 1996. She later pleaded guilty to two counts of child rape.
Vili has seen May December and came away deeply dismayed at what he believes is another example of Hollywood and the media exploiting his story and pain, via THR.
“I’m still alive and well,” he said. “If they had reached out to me, we could have worked together on a masterpiece. Instead, they chose to do a ripoff of my original story.
“I’m offended by the entire project and the lack of respect given to me — who lived through a real story and is still living it,” he continued.
Mary Kay died from cancer in 2020, and Vili was by her side.
“I love movies — good movies. And I admire ones that capture the essence and complications of real-life events. You know, movies that allow you to see or realize something new every time you watch them,” he said.
“Those kinds of writers and directors — someone who can do that — would be perfect to work with, because my story is not nearly as simple as this movie [portrays],” he went on to say.
At the Los Angeles premiere in November, the screenwriter said the case was only a “jumping-off point” and Julianne said “this is not the story of Mary Kay Letourneau,” THR notes.
Vili and Mary Kay were married in May of 2005. They separated in 2019.
Vili had a third child from a new relationship in 2022. One of his two daughters with Mary Kay, Georgia, is pregnant, and he will become a grandfather.
Charles Melton opened up about the movie, touching on both his costars and his diet in a new interview.