The advent of 'YouTube divorce' or just old-fashioned revenge?

By now we've all heard of the so-called "YouTube divorce" video, where playwright Tricia Walsh-Smith rants about how little she gets in the event of a divorce from her wealthy husband Philip J. Smith, a Broadway theater mogul. Occasionally tearing up, she reveals that she is about to be "evicted" from her apartment because of a clause in her ill-advised pre-nup. Then Walsh-Smith offers the YouTube viewing public a whole bunch of so-called dirt, such as that Smith owned Viagra, dirty magazines, and prophylactics, even though she says they "never had sex" because of his heart condition. There's a vague reference to Smith having allegedly "hacked" his wife's computer -- but what the Sam heck does that mean?

This video doesn't herald a new era in divorce, where spouses humiliate each other online instead of hashing out their differences in the living room or in court.  As is eminently clear from the planning and execution of the video -- which is clearly edited by someone who knew what they were doing -- this is a performance piece by a theater professional.  Even down to the "prepare for a sequel" message at the end: "Will Poor, Vulnerable Tricia be Evicted? Or Will Mean Bad Husband do the Right Thing? Stay Tuned!"

It's a great idea for an online soap opera episode -- the enmity between a rich New York husband and his beautiful, estranged, younger wife.  Money.  Sex.  Gossip.  And all in 6 minutes.  Maybe this is the hit Web TV show we've been looking for!

Comments

[David]

Yummy

[farnk]

Another foolish older fellow.

[travis]

It must be a slow news day!

[read]

Read the pre nup 1st baby. Pissing him off isn't going to help.

[Frank]

This is another case of women marry's man for money, man not pampering her like she would want, and women gets upset cause she's not getting what other trophy wives are getting. To me this video doesn't show how the man's not treating her but how low this women will go to get attention and humiliate her husband. People shouldn't parise this women only see her as a pathetic person who married for the wrong reasons.

[grow up]

Grow up and LEARN TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF! Why are you getting evicted? Are you incapable of working for a living? I'm so sick of women who bi+ch and moan about their "unfair" prenup that they signed. I am divorced and I can say I didn't want a dime from my ex, and have lived completely independently (and ended up better off!) without his money. And sorry lady, but this video says more about you that it does about your husband. You're pretty sad.

[John]

She signed the prenup! I don't understand what she's complaining about, when she agreed to everything that is happening to her. She also lets on big time that she's a golddigger, in that she never consummated her marriage to a man much older and richer than she. Guess the playwrighting wasn't going so well, eh Trish?

[Bonnie Russell]

Of course we know how true a one sided accounting is.
Just like the so-called "catch" of the Real Housewives of Orange County. See www.FamilyLawcourts.com on how "real" that show is.

[Whatstherealnews]

This is about as "real" as the "Real Housewives of Orange County's" so called "catch" George Peterson. See www.FamillyLawCourts.com

People don't realize the single most Invasive form of government in this country is a Family court judge.

[Michele]

Although this vitriolic piece involves real people and real issues, it's bizarre and hilarious. It's far from ineffective, and is quite spectacular post modern theater. For a six minute romp, in the age of Adult Attention Deficit pandemic, it captures the emotions, both good and bad, satisfies our voyeuristic tastes in this age of reality television, and proves how clever this woman is, inspite of the ethics, or legal soundness behind her actions. No lawyer would recommend she take it to YouTube, but, remember, she is actively promoting her play, "Addictions", opening in June, and while no one heard of her a week ago, her YouTube opus has generated well over 1 million hits in half a week. This woman is not a loser or a schmuck. Does she have a heart? No. But, she's a genius.

[Robert Lewis]

See details of Tricia Walsh-Smith and her Husband Phillip at www.webofdeception