'Boy Interrupted' Article

[K_Z]

I has occurred to me that Dina freely criticizes, lambastes, and accuses Rebecca of all sorts of things, both in this article, and in other interviews and press conferences. Dina has been curiously silent on any criticism of Jonah's behavior in the care and discipline of Max-- ascribing all of Dina's blame onto Rebecca. As if Jonah was never present or participating in Max's care or life. The most critical thing she has said is that Jonah didn't invite her participation in Max in Motion, notified her with a one line text, and Jonah did not contribute to Maxie's House. Now why might that be? It's like Jonah has become invisible in this ongoing attack by Dina against anything and everything about Rebecca.

A few opined this may be because Dina still loves and "wants Jonah back." But I don't see it that way.

I think that there is a very good possibility that the alimony settlement negotiated for Dina at the end of their marriage prohibits her from making any public statements that may disparage, embarrass, denigrate, or criticize Jonah (and/or Medicis). Because to do so would damage Jonah's reputation, and hence damage his business reputation. And to do that would jeopardize Jonah's ability to continue to fund whatever plan was agreed on for Dina's support. (And Max's, Kimberly's, and the other Shacknai minors.)

Remember the "please ignore all that" press release they came together to author about the domestic assault and police reports and 911 calls at the end of their marriage? That was put together pretty quickly between attorneys for both Dina and Jonah. That was the end of them making any public statements about anything related to either Max or Rebecca's deaths. Not a single word of togetherness since then-- not even, "We loved him and will miss him forever".

So Dina goes on the (pre-emptive self defense) attack against Rebecca publicly. To her utterly ridiculous complaint that Max no longer devoured the candy drawer Dina so lovingly, permissively, and indulgently supplied for him. Really? She's upset with Rebecca that Max is eating LESS candy than usual?? She is upset that Rebecca may have been teaching Max some nutrition education, and urging him to practice self control and indulge less often in candy? And THAT is one of the horrible reasons why we should be suspicious that Rebecca participated in murdering Max?

And if Rebecca had provided Max with unfettered access to a "fully stocked candy drawer", Dina would have been complaining that Rebecca didn't provide healthy food, didn't set limits, and was trying to bribe Max's love and affection with treats. There is no way for a dead woman to win in this situation-- no way for the dead, live in girlfriend, soon-to-be-fiancee, to win the approval of the vindictive, bitter, and angry ex-wife.

Even the police were suspicious of the "bitter ex-wife grinding an axe on the new girlfriend".

As Dina was leaving the hospital, a Coronado police detective paid her a visit. “Are you aware what happened?” he asked.

“Yes, it’s awful,” Dina answered. Later, at her home, two more detectives asked Dina what she thought about Rebecca’s death. She was in a hurry to return to the hospital to view the results of Max’s MRI. “They said something like ‘Is this related to what happened to Max?’” she recalls. “And my first thought was: ‘What are you suggesting? That somebody hurt Max on purpose? That somebody harmed Rebecca?’… They were intimating [foul play].”

I don't at all read that the way Dina did. I think what the detectives were thinking was more along the lines of "bitter ex-wife grinding and axe on the new girlfriend."

And since Dina can't vent her anger about that in public at Jonah (imo), she focuses all of her vindictive wrath on Rebecca-- who is dead, and imo, murdered. She focuses all her blame, anger, pain, and vindictiveness both in the basis of the formation of the nonprofit, and the press release and publicity tour of print and tabloid TV. Pre-emptive self defense-- she has to make Rebecca the villain. Because she knows Jonah won't say a word about anything in public because of his business, and Rebecca is dead and can't defend herself. Perfect publicity storm.

 

[justice be served]

I has occurred to me that Dina freely criticizes, lambastes, and accuses Rebecca of all sorts of things, both in this article, and in other interviews and press conferences. Dina has been curiously silent on any criticism of Jonah's behavior in the care and discipline of Max-- ascribing all of Dina's blame onto Rebecca. As if Jonah was never present or participating in Max's care or life. The most critical thing she has said is that Jonah didn't invite her participation in Max in Motion, notified her with a one line text, and Jonah did not contribute to Maxie's House. Now why might that be? It's like Jonah has become invisible in this ongoing attack by Dina against anything and everything about Rebecca.

A few opined this may be because Dina still loves and "wants Jonah back." But I don't see it that way.

I think that there is a very good possibility that the alimony settlement negotiated for Dina at the end of their marriage prohibits her from making any public statements that may disparage, embarrass, denigrate, or criticize Jonah (and/or Medicis). Because to do so would damage Jonah's reputation, and hence damage his business reputation. And to do that would jeopardize Jonah's ability to continue to fund whatever plan was agreed on for Dina's support. (And Max's, Kimberly's, and the other Shacknai minors.)

Remember the "please ignore all that" press release they came together to author about the domestic assault and police reports and 911 calls at the end of their marriage? That was put together pretty quickly between attorneys for both Dina and Jonah. That was the end of them making any public statements about anything related to either Max or Rebecca's deaths. Not a single word of togetherness since then-- not even, "We loved him and will miss him forever".

So Dina goes on the (pre-emptive self defense) attack against Rebecca publicly. To her utterly ridiculous complaint that Max no longer devoured the candy drawer Dina so lovingly, permissively, and indulgently supplied for him. Really? She's upset with Rebecca that Max is eating LESS candy than usual?? She is upset that Rebecca may have been teaching Max some nutrition education, and urging him to practice self control and indulge less often in candy? And THAT is one of the horrible reasons why we should be suspicious that Rebecca participated in murdering Max?

And if Rebecca had provided Max with unfettered access to a "fully stocked candy drawer", Dina would have been complaining that Rebecca didn't provide healthy food, didn't set limits, and was trying to bribe Max's love and affection with treats. There is no way for a dead woman to win in this situation-- no way for the dead, live in girlfriend, soon-to-be-fiancee, to win the approval of the vindictive, bitter, and angry ex-wife.

Even the police were suspicious of the "bitter ex-wife grinding an axe on the new girlfriend".



I don't at all read that the way Dina did. I think what the detectives were thinking was more along the lines of "bitter ex-wife grinding and axe on the new girlfriend."

And since Dina can't vent her anger about that in public at Jonah (imo), she focuses all of her vindictive wrath on Rebecca-- who is dead, and imo, murdered. She focuses all her blame, anger, pain, and vindictiveness both in the basis of the formation of the nonprofit, and the press release and publicity tour of print and tabloid TV. Pre-emptive self defense-- she has to make Rebecca the villain. Because she knows Jonah won't say a word about anything in public because of his business, and Rebecca is dead and can't defend herself. Perfect publicity storm.

K__Z, great thinking. In addition to the report that their divorce proceedings were sealed there is also the pesky “cease and desist” letter that Jonah put out a very long time ago. In my read, that threat applies to anyone and everyone - not just Anne Bremner.

 

[justice be served]

Let’s follow the logical thinking on Dina’s recent actions. Dina, as much as it is couched in her statements, is pinpointing Rebecca as being responsible for Max’s death. By doing so, she maybe is doing one of the following:

1. Preparing for a civil lawsuit against Jonah for his responsibility for Max’s death.

2. Attempting to open up Max’s investigation as a preamble to opening up Rebecca’s death investigation.

3. If Rebecca’s death investigation is opened up, perhaps punishing who she thinks may be responsible for Rebecca’s death. Perhaps she believes that is Jonah?

4. Or simply finding her voice in the anger stage of mourning and focusing on blame.

In her attempt to do any of the above (and more), she is placing herself as a prime target for someone with motive, means and opportunity for a homicide? Why would she do that unless she is truly innocent?

 

[FightTheOstrich]

I find the whole 'little man' image in this article and particularly on the nonprofit site disquieting. I know I've said this before, but a lot of what is presented does not seem developmentally appropriate for a boy of 6 years old. I don't know why a kid can't just be a kid...he does not have to be the absolute best at everything either and already in competition with children/boys two years older than he was.

I have to wonder if perhaps Max was "all boy" at his fathers and was forced to be the "little man" when at DS's. Perhaps he really was riding the scooter fast and wild when he had his accident but he acted differently with his mother bc she had different expectations.

 

[time]

I have to wonder if perhaps Max was "all boy" at his fathers and was forced to be the "little man" when at DS's. Perhaps he really was riding the scooter fast and wild when he had his accident but he acted differently with his mother bc she had different expectations.

I think you could be very perceptive! It makes perfect sense. Kids want to be kids!

 

[FightTheOstrich]

Apologize in advance if this has already been discussed, but a quote from the Phoenix Magazine article continues to linger in my mind.



(Am moving this from another thread, as it's more appropriate here...)

I'm mystified how someone who holds a PhD in clinical psychology can remember a child in this manner without feeling sad and embarrassed. How tragic that a child, essentially 5 and younger, has seen such conflict in his young life that he has been placed in the adult role of peacemaker or "glue."

There is something very wrong with this image. Everyone in his family needs to examine why he felt that huge responsiblity, and his biological mother was certainly part of this pathetic scenario.

The article alludes to an unfortunate adoptive situation for DS. Perhaps she was scarred by her early unsatisfactory familial relationship. Regardless, her seeming cluelessness about her child's psyche concerns me.

The author seems so impressed by her knowledge of Italian pottery, opera, literature, and fine wines that he glosses over her inability to feel any real empathy/responsibility for the dynamics at work in her own son's life.

In my experience, a good percentage of individuals who study and practice psychology are interested in that field for personal reasons. I have heard from several doctors that their peers who chose psychiatry tended to be very strange themselves and have their own problems.

 

[FightTheOstrich]

I also find it interesting that she has always stated that she and JS had an agreement bc taking JS to court (RZ's relationship with Max) would have bankrupted her. Implying that his wealth would have given him an unfair advantage. Obviously, that's not the case. What would have bankrupted her and kept her fighting with JS for years are the actual issues she had. Imagine complaining to a judge that you don't want your son around his father's girlfriend bc she feeds him fresh fruit and vegetables....

 

[screecher]

The statement Dina Romano made regarding the 'agreement' she and Jonah Shacknai had regarding Maxie, Rebecca and Rebecca's other family members I think is a lie. And here's why I think that.

I don't believe for one second JS 'agreed' to anything she purposed. Why would he? They had a very acrimonious marriage and even worse divorce proceedings I imagine. He would agree to her demand Rebecca and her family members not be with Maxie alone? Why would he do that? IMO, he wouldn't. Nor do I believe Nina Romano when she says the reason she didn't take Jonah back to court because it would bankrupt her. The real reason, IMO, is because her lawyer told her the judge would find her demands ridiculous and cite her for frivolous action.

All my opinion.

 

[freespeech]

In the article Dina stated,"...So I asked Nina to go talk to Rebecca. Beg her on your hands and knees, if you have to. Ask her if there’s anything, anything, that might help Max. Some detail or something she left out [of the police report].”

http://www.phoenixmag.com/lifestyle/valley-news/201208/boy--interrupted-full-version/3/

There were some interesting comments by posters on another site who basically asked why Dina didn't ask Rebecca to come to the hospital to speak directly to the doctors. Now when I really think about this all I can think is that something was terribly wrong here from the onset.

Rebecca and her sister were questioned by and gave statements to the Coronado police Department regarding Max's accident. Rebecca was apparently available and helpful as evidenced by her willingness to pick-up Nina and Adam from the airport. So Rebecca did not appear to be hiding from the police or family members. She did not run away and leave town or hide in the mansion so why didn't Dina directly ask Rebecca and her sister to come to the hospital and tell the doctors what they knew?

Dina's above statement sounded untrue. Why would she ask her sister to go over to Rebecca late at night and beg for answers? She could have simply arranged a conference with the doctors and asked Jonah to bring Rebecca. <modsnip>

 

[time]

In the article Dina stated,"...So I asked Nina to go talk to Rebecca. Beg her on your hands and knees, if you have to. Ask her if there’s anything, anything, that might help Max. Some detail or something she left out [of the police report].”

http://www.phoenixmag.com/lifestyle/valley-news/201208/boy--interrupted-full-version/3/

There were some interesting comments by posters on another site who basically asked why Dina didn't ask Rebecca to come to the hospital to speak directly to the doctors. Now when I really think about this all I can think is that something was terribly wrong here from the onset.

Rebecca and her sister were questioned by and gave statements to the Coronado police Department regarding Max's accident. Rebecca was apparently available and helpful as evidenced by her willingness to pick-up Nina and Adam from the airport. So Rebecca did not appear to be hiding from the police or family members. She did not run away and leave town or hide in the mansion so why didn't Dina directly ask Rebecca and her sister to come to the hospital and tell the doctors what they knew?

Dina's above statement sounded untrue. Why would she ask her sister to go over to Rebecca late at night and beg for answers? She could have simply arranged a conference with the doctors and asked Jonah to bring Rebecca. Imo, Dina's was definitely up to no good as evidenced by her own admissions in the above article.

BBM- that would be the normal thing to do IF there were questions Rebecca could help the doctors with. The way Nina and Dina describe this series of events based on concerns (and Nina never says Dina asked her - discrepancy), sounds like the way high school school girls would talk about a boyfriend or gossip problem not about serious injuries a child incurred.

 

[*Lash*]

An article from 2008 before Rebecca entered the picture? Did Dina know about Jonah's healthy lifestyle habits in 2008? It doesn't appear Rebecca was the only person in the family who was health conscious.

Wmagazine.com - October 2008

After mastering the face and the body, will the spirit be next? Shacknai, who exercises daily and doesn’t eat meat, owns up to a fascination with feng shui. He enlisted feng shui practitioner Brayden Zeviar to help with Medicis’s new, 150,000-square-foot headquarters, which sits on the western edge of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community reservation. Zeviar did everything from surveying the land for the new office space (and placing replicas of ancient Chinese coins in the foundation to promote wealth) to installing streams, an aquarium and statues of Asian wise men around the property. “This was greeted with great skepticism when I first introduced it,” says Shacknai. “But now almost every employee has feng shui elements in their particular workstations.”

http://www.wmagazine.com/beauty/2008/10/restylane_filler?currentPage=3

 

[jjenny]

An article from 2008 before Rebecca entered the picture? Did Dina know about Jonah's healthy lifestyle habits in 2008? It doesn't appear Rebecca was the only person in the family who was health conscious.

Wmagazine.com - October 2008

After mastering the face and the body, will the spirit be next? Shacknai, who exercises daily and doesn’t eat meat, owns up to a fascination with feng shui. He enlisted feng shui practitioner Brayden Zeviar to help with Medicis’s new, 150,000-square-foot headquarters, which sits on the western edge of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community reservation. Zeviar did everything from surveying the land for the new office space (and placing replicas of ancient Chinese coins in the foundation to promote wealth) to installing streams, an aquarium and statues of Asian wise men around the property. “This was greeted with great skepticism when I first introduced it,” says Shacknai. “But now almost every employee has feng shui elements in their particular workstations.”

http://www.wmagazine.com/beauty/2008/10/restylane_filler?currentPage=3

Reading this, I really doubt that JS himself wanted Max to have a free access to a candy drawer. But of course it's Rebecca who ended up blamed for supposedly "macro-managing" food.

 

[time]

An article from 2008 before Rebecca entered the picture? Did Dina know about Jonah's healthy lifestyle habits in 2008? It doesn't appear Rebecca was the only person in the family who was health conscious.

Wmagazine.com - October 2008

After mastering the face and the body, will the spirit be next? Shacknai, who exercises daily and doesn’t eat meat, owns up to a fascination with feng shui. He enlisted feng shui practitioner Brayden Zeviar to help with Medicis’s new, 150,000-square-foot headquarters, which sits on the western edge of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community reservation. Zeviar did everything from surveying the land for the new office space (and placing replicas of ancient Chinese coins in the foundation to promote wealth) to installing streams, an aquarium and statues of Asian wise men around the property. “This was greeted with great skepticism when I first introduced it,” says Shacknai. “But now almost every employee has feng shui elements in their particular workstations.”

http://www.wmagazine.com/beauty/2008/10/restylane_filler?currentPage=3

Thanks. I had forgotten about that article. Sure seems like Rebecca and Jonah may have been a better match than Dina and Jonah were, healthy wise and maybe sharing some other lifestyle/life approaches. Jonah seemed possibly aware from this article that life and work stresses can be lowered if you try and that starts with your everyday environment.

 

[bourne]

Thanks. I had forgotten about that article. Sure seems like Rebecca and Jonah may have been a better match than Dina and Jonah were, healthy wise and maybe sharing some other lifestyle/life approaches. Jonah seemed possibly aware from this article that life and work stresses can be lowered if you try and that starts with your everyday environment.

I recall also there was an early 2011 article before Rebecca's untimely homicide that said Jonah himself stated that ever since he was more "at peace" after he started a relationship with Rebecca than he had ever been. I'll try to find the article.

 

[ATasteOfHoney]

Apologize in advance if this has already been discussed, but a quote from the Phoenix Magazine article continues to linger in my mind.



(Am moving this from another thread, as it's more appropriate here...)

I'm mystified how someone who holds a PhD in clinical psychology can remember a child in this manner without feeling sad and embarrassed. How tragic that a child, essentially 5 and younger, has seen such conflict in his young life that he has been placed in the adult role of peacemaker or "glue."

There is something very wrong with this image. Everyone in his family needs to examine why he felt that huge responsiblity, and his biological mother was certainly part of this pathetic scenario.

The article alludes to an unfortunate adoptive situation for DS. Perhaps she was scarred by her early unsatisfactory familial relationship. Regardless, her seeming cluelessness about her child's psyche concerns me.

The author seems so impressed by her knowledge of Italian pottery, opera, literature, and fine wines that he glosses over her inability to feel any real empathy/responsibility for the dynamics at work in her own son's life.

Just to clarify, she does NOT hold a prestigious PhD.....she holds a PsyD and there is a big difference to those who work in that discipline.

 

[*Lash*]

Dina had other concerns. Max, a voracious eater known to dip liberally into the candy drawer, suddenly became food-neurotic, eating little of his meals or none at all. Dina suspected that Rebecca – later described as a “keep-fit fanatic” by tabloid website Radaronline.com – was micro-managing Max’s diet. She maintains that food was so controlled under Rebecca’s watch that Ethan sometimes asked his biological mom to bring him snacks.

http://www.phoenixmag.com/lifestyle/valley-news/201208/boy--interrupted-full-version/2/

Jonah surely cared and had a say in what his children were eating while in his care. These are Jonah's children not Rebecca's. Jonah is responsible for what his children eat while in his care. Not Rebecca. Maybe Rebecca did the grocery shopping for the home, but Jonah lived and ate there. By many accounts Jonah is a good father. The children may not have liked the food that was kept in the home, but Rebecca was not harming them. In my opinion Jonah appears to be a devoted father and would not have allowed his children to be under fed or taught diets that would harm them.

Snip- Nearly 10 years ago, as Jonah Shacknai and his first wife were in the middle of a hard-fought divorce, his estranged wife was clear about one thing: The driven business executive may have been a poor husband, but he was a devoted father. The couple have a daughter, 14, and son, 13.

Snip- But, wrote the psychologist, "It was quite apparent to me that his children are most important to him and he loves them dearly."

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/25/local/la-me-jonah-shacknai-20110725

 

[time]

I also find it interesting that she has always stated that she and JS had an agreement bc taking JS to court (RZ's relationship with Max) would have bankrupted her. Implying that his wealth would have given him an unfair advantage. Obviously, that's not the case. What would have bankrupted her and kept her fighting with JS for years are the actual issues she had. Imagine complaining to a judge that you don't want your son around his father's girlfriend bc she feeds him fresh fruit and vegetables....

I agree... I can't see from what we know that any judge would grant some change in the custody agreement (or whatever Dina is claiming she wanted) based on what Dina is claiming about Rebecca.

 

[freespeech]

Quote from Boy Interrupted

"...Dina Shacknai applauds MaxInMotion but says she was not asked to participate, learning of its existence via &#8220;a one-line text message&#8221; on the day before its launch. She also says that Jonah declined to contribute resources to Maxie&#8217;s H.O.U.S.E. &#8211; the foundation she launched in July..."

http://www.phoenixmag.com/lifestyle/valley-news/201208/boy--interrupted-full-version/3/

Dina's apparent sense of entitlement to being center stage and at the forefront of everyone's thought's is shocking. She needs to also have compassion for Max's father and siblings. They also lost Max.

She shouldn't make negative remarks about not being included in Jonah's memorial charity for Max. She needs to allow those poor children and her ex-husband process Max's loss in their own way and not hers.

Actually, Jonah proves to be a good parent by including his older children in the decision making. It seems like Jonah and his children thoughtfully and jointly decided on a charity for Max that would represent Max's true personality and interests.

What a healthy, positive and loving way to help them process Max's death and remember him in a positive manner. It was a good call to launch on Max's birthday, a happy day, rather than the anniversary of his death like Dina did. Why does Dina want/need to taint that? Because she wasn't included? She and Jonah are divorced. Why would he include her? That wouldn't make sense at all. However, for him to include Max's half siblings make perfect sense.

<modsnip>. She uses this "Boy Interrupted" article for so many more purposes that to just promote her non for profit, imo.

 

[time]

Tunnel vision? I think she saw it as possibly seiving a purpose - thinking people would say Jonah was awful. Maybe that's how she feels, but I don't think she realizes others just don't see it that way. I believe when two people get divorced they should be mature enough to see that it is now two separate lives even if there is some crossover because of the children. It is healthy to move on. That does not mean you can't be cooperative and be concerned in things that intersect with caring for the children. This does not require the two parents to have such personal emotional connections to each other or have to be joined at the hip in every thing their children do - perhaps it goes right along with Dina not wanting Rebecca at school events.

 

[freespeech]

A quote from the BI article:

Dina stated, &#8220;Then detectives started propagating the scooter theory. He was not a daredevil. He was just not that kind of boy.&#8221;

Imo, Max was all boy. Dogs, razor scooters, balls, playing soccer with older boys. Most boys are rough and tumble as dictated by their hormones/testosterone. They are very different from most girl children in that way.

It is possible that Max was doing something crazy like planking with the older kids. I can totally see a kid like him doing something like that to get a laugh or their approval especially if the supervising adult had gone to the bathroom for 10 minutes.

If the older children had a problem with Rebecca they could have "egged on", Max, teaching him to break the rules and disrespect Rebecca like they did. Kids are like that. They do stupid things and act out. They're kids not perfect little robots. Dina's comment sounds very unrealistic to me.