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John Wayne Bobbitt Has Toes Amputated, Believes Problems Date Back to Service at Camp Lejeune
The former Marine may have contracted a disease after working at Camp Lejeune in the late '80s.
John Wayne Bobbitt is recovering after having all of his toes amputated.
The former Marine — whose ex-wife, Lorena Bobbitt, famously cut off his penis in a fit of rage — was diagnosed with toxic peripheral polyneuropathy in 2023, according to The Sun. He has since undergone multiple amputations to treat symptoms caused by the condition which include ulcers and inflammation of the bones.
Bobbitt now believes that he's long suffered from the condition, which he likely contracted while stationed at Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina in the late '80s. In fact, he speculates that the toxic peripheral polyneuropathy contributed to the tumultuous nature of his relatonship with ex Lorena Bobbitt.
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"I wasn't behaving the way I should have," he told the U.K. outlet. "Maybe I would have made better decisions if my cognitive functioning wasn't distorted by the chemicals."
What caused the water contamination at Camp Lejeune?
In the early 1980s, the military base's water supply, processed at the Tarawa Terrace and Hadnot Point treatment plants, were contaminated by the industrial solvents trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE). The Tarawa Terrace plant was largely contaminated by unsafe waste disposal practices at ABC One-Hour Cleaners, an off-base dry cleaning firm; while Hadnot Point was contaminated by multiple sources, per the Center for Disease Control's Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).
Although the water was treated and processed, the TCEs and PCEs could not be removed during treatment. As a result, contaminated water was unknowingly used in homes, offices, hospitals, and schools, potentially impacting thousands of individuals living in the area, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
The most contaminated wells were shut down by 1985, per the ATSDR.
Where is John Wayne Bobbitt now?
Following the amputation of his toes, Bobbitt is currently unemployed and living in Florida. He is seeking financial assistance from the government, which wouldn't have been possible were it not for President Joe Biden signing the Camp Lejeune Justice Act as part of the Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022.
Under the bill, veterans and other service members are now able to file claims with the Department of Navy, according to a Navy press release.
Bobbitt has had his fair share of medical struggles, particularly after his ex-wife Lorena Bobbitt cut off his penis with a kitchen knife in 1993. Charged with assault, Lorena later testified in court that she was driven to commit the horrific act after enduring physical and verbal abuse at the hands of Bobbitt. She was ultimately acquitted by reason of temporary insanity.
Bobbitt's penis was surgically reattached and, after divorcing Lorena in 1995, he briefly went on to become a porn star.
Where is Lorena now?
Following the trial, Lorena changed her last name to Gallo, her maiden name, and avoided the spotlight.
However, in the wake of the #MeToo movement, Lorena has spoken out more frequently about her toxic relationship with Bobbitt and the media's coverage. In 2019, Lorena told TODAY that she wishes there would've been more sensitivity to the emotional turmoil she experienced.
“The real story here is about a victim,” she said. “It’s about domestic violence.”
