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With America’s fascination with true crime stories, it’s probably not a huge surprise that Casey Anthony is once again making headlines. In 2011, the now 31-year-old Anthony was acquitted of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, who disappeared in 2008. The controversial court case got attention across the country and left her with the reputation as “the most hated mom in America.” During her first interview since the acquittal back in March, Casey told the Associated Press that “I don’t give a s— about what anyone thinks about me, I never will. I’m okay with myself, I sleep pretty good at night.”
While Casey feels she may be okay, her parents have a different opinion. George and Cindy Anthony were recently interviewed by investigative journalist Chris Hansen (who busted many a pedophile on To Catch a Predator) for his daytime syndicated series Crime Watch Daily. In an episode airing today, the couple discussed the case and their tenuous relationship with their daughter. Not one to mince words, Cindy asserted “I think Casey is mentally ill.” She went on to reveal that she believed Casey might have had a seizure at the time of Caylee’s death. She said that she believes that Casey has suffered from seizures and didn’t realize it at the time. Her theory echoes that of Anthony’s attorney, Cheney Mason, who claimed earlier this year that his client had a “blackout” following the toddler’s death.
During the interview, George Anthony, Casey’s father, said he has no relationship with his daughter after unproven accusations by Casey’s defense team of his sexual abuse towards Casey and his working to conceal Caylee’s death. He sent a strong message to his daughter during the interview, stating, “Stay away. Stay away from me. If she wants a relationship again with her mom, she’s got a lot of explaining to do, but I don’t want to hear it no more. I don’t want to see her.” Cindy’s message was a bit gentler, telling her daughter, “Casey, be true to yourself, start being honest with yourself, and own everything. Quit putting blame on everybody else.”
The Anthonys also weighed in on a rumored reality show starring Casey and the recently-released OJ Simpson. Casey is currently living in south Florida with Patrick McKenna, who worked on her defense team as a private investigator. A source told In Touch earlier this year that “It will give viewers the inside story on the aftermath of living with the horrible crimes they were ultimately acquitted of.” Cindy said of the project, “Oh god. If it came down to that, I would [sue].”
Having lived and worked in news production in Orlando, I followed this case closely, and I believe we didn’t hear the whole story. I am still in doubt as to Casey’s innocence, and I’m sure I’m not the only one. I feel bad for her family, as they certainly went through a lot since 2008. Not sure why they felt the need to speak out now, but if it keeps the “Casey ‘n’ OJ Show” off the air, they’ve done us all an invaluable public service.
Photos: Getty Images
Am I the only one who thinks the dad’s reaction is a bit… protesty too muchy? I have zero doubt this human garbage murdered her own child, no question. Just the she killed her kid, well that sucks but ok, she’s still our daughter, then she accuses him of sexually abusing her, and THAT’S the line he draws?
(I haven’t slept since Saturday, so forgive me if this isn’t totally coherent. Meds. Ugh.)
Seems reasonable to me. As much as we all are pretty convinced Casey killed her child, we are not SURE. So they love their daughter and gave her the benefit of the doubt (or tried to). But when she dragged her dad through the mud (something they would surely know whether was true or not) they finally realized their daughter is a monster. And for her dad, how must that feel for your own flesh and blood to be comfortable smearing you like that, acting like you had a hand int he whole thing AND accusing you of sexual abuse, just to save her own hide? I totally get why her dad feels that way.
Well, as a parent myself, I could see giving her the benefit of the doubt at first and trying to stand by her. Nobody wants to believe their own child could do something so horrific. But then to have that same child turn around and accuse *you* of something horrific, and so publicly, that would be a knife in the back I’m not sure I could handle. I can see that being the line where they realized, ‘Holy sh!t, she IS horrible.’ And coming to terms with that must have been awful (didn’t the dad try to kill himself or something?) and as much as it hurt, they just had to cut that toxicity out of their life. That’s my take on it (hope you feel better soon!)
Runcmc, you put it way better than I.
I can see that too, Shannon, good parents, even if to a fault, would want to only believe the best of their kids. I think my take here is that he’s so adamant about her just forgetting she has a father that’s a bit too hmmm to me. But that’s also just how some people speak, too. I forget if it was ever stated whether or not she and her father were close before, so the potential for anger and hurt is high there. (I’d have made a terrible judge! 😔)
Thanks for good thoughts! Meds coming, meds going, and I’m just here, wanting all the ramen.
I think it was probably the usual kind of denial parents have when their kid does something awful. You wouldn’t automatically think your child would be capable of killing her own daughter. Even if there were things suggesting that that was the case – you would have a hard time looking at the person you raised – the person who was once a little girl you were reading bed time stories to and waking up on Christmas morning – and believing that they could be capable of doing something so horrific. I think that’s probably a natural reaction – at least at first.
But assuming the father never did a thing to her – seeing her make that kind of lie so casually probably was the thing that really made it clear that she was a monster. Casey likely killed her little girl – but they weren’t there when it happened so benefit of the doubt makes SOME sense at least. But to know fully that you never had been inappropriate with your child and for her to make that kind of statement probably made them really start to question everything she’d ever told them.
So I don’t know. Assuming nothing happened with the dad – I can’t blame him for protesting to that degree. That’s a horrible lie to make – the sort of thing that could completely ruin his life. Not only that – it causes harm to all the people who genuinely were abused and who need people to believe them. He’s already lost his grandkid, and the person he thought his daughter was.
She took investigators to Universal Studios where she said she had a job, and then walked them all over the grounds before FINALLY admitting she didn’t have a job there anymore. She has no qualms about telling a huge lie and going along with it.
It makes sense to me. With the crime she was accused of, they could try and tell themselves maybe she was actually innocent, maybe it was an accident, maybe she was sick, maybe she could be helped etc.
But lashing out at her father shows she’s toxic to everyone around her, and that even if she needs help, it’s not safe for them to try.
While I wouldn’t want to be in George Anthony’s shoes, I will say he has one advantage the rest of us don’t have: He knows the truth about his own involvement, or lack thereof. Casey’s only claim to innocence is that her father molested her and made her cover up Caylee’s accidental death in the pool. George himself knows whether there is any truth to this. The rest of us can only guess, including her mother. I don’t believe a word of what Casey claimed against her father and I bet it makes him angry knowing he had nothing to do with it but always wondering whether people believe Casey against him.
I followed this case and the Not Guilty verdict was sickening. She’s a total narcissist and a guilty liar.
What fresh hell is this?
She may be mentally ill but I have no doubt she’s also a murderer. Now whether those are two separate issues…that’s a case for her therapist. If she even has one.
I watched this every day here in the Orlando area, and after all the proof of the crime, I couldn’t believe they found her not guilty. Theres no doubt in my mind that she’s completely guilty. It’s most likely that Casey is mentally ill, but why is she talking about Casey having seizures at the time of the death? What kind of excuse is that?
That too. Because people have seizures all the time and their kids just wind up deceased. Tale as old as whenever that interview was conducted.
The point of being mentally ill to such an extent is that one can not be held accountable for one’s action like someone who is not. And seizures aren’t some sort of cold, that’s a serious scary thing to experience. This can influence one’s perception, lead to a higher testiness and yeah a lower inhibition level. It’s all in all not the best combination to make decisions of any sort even if nothing stressful happens.
Not sure, if excuse is the right word, maybe explanation would be better? These sort of mental issues wouldn’t go away by forcing or punishing her into behaving “normal”. As well as telling her to own up her mistakes. Because she is lacking the ability to do so due to her condition.
Same. Everyone in my neighborhood was shocked she was acquitted
Sounds a bit like she’s trying to forget that she raised this monster, and probably overlooked a thousand warning signs. It still rattles me that she was acquitted
Gee Cindy, so you think your daughter who made up a babysitter so she could party, used Xanax as the real babysitter, lied about jobs she never had, had a country aching for a little girl murdered by her mother is mentally ill. Hello captain obvious. It was sickening to watch the trial and see Jose whoever, her dirty lawyer try to place the blame on the father. The whole family is wack, but Casey Anthony got away with murder. Another story where I end with rot in hell.
Casey probably got acquitted cuz she was sleeping with her sleazy lawyer and the jury probably thought she was a hottie, so she obviously can’t murder her own defenceless baby girl.
I believe 100% it was an accidental death covered up by George and Casey. Read these posts on the case:
https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/32r6bw/casey_anthony_revisited_proof_that_george_is_lying/
Her parents are idiots. She’s a murderer. End of story.
I don’t think the father is in denial. It’s the mother. It’s hard to believe your child is a monster, but she is. No remorse afterwards, yipee, I can party now with friends. UGH.
If this isn’t the understatement of the century, I don’t know what is.
The whole god damn family is mentally f0ked. You two simpletons raised her. Didn’t this dumb cow Mom make Crazy Anferny have the baby instead of give her up or get an abortion? Go away, circus people. There’s no room for your elephants today
I know this is completely unrelated, but I initially thought she was Alanis Morisette when I saw the photo!
smh. YOU THINK?!?!?
cindy you are part of the problem and your myriad excuses are proof of this.
your daughter killed your granddaughter.
she is sick because she killed her child.
nothing more.
start speaking the language of fact and reality and maybe then you will understand what happened and why.
Casey is evil.
She is. I can’t even look at her face. Tot mom….Nancy Grace would have flipped the switch herself in the electric chair, but TM will live out her life while little Caylee was murdered by her own mother and thrown away like garbage. There isn’t a punishment harsh enough for this woman. I would say she has to live with herself, but it doesn’t seem to be a problem for her.
This horror show of a family…Casey has a slew of Axis II personality traits, no doubt…but she is totally sane.
Sane enough to cover up her crime, lie endlessly and blame everyone else.
Cindy is still in denial if she thinks seizures caused Casey to commit such heinous acts.
Yes! She has some kind of personality disorder which includes an inability to feel love or empathy, but she is quite sane in that she knows right from wrong. Her mother is just a classic enabler, not a terrible person. I do feel for the father, because he knows what a monster his daughter is capable of being.
Sociopathy which is the same “personality disorder” trump has.
I read both the prosecutor’s and defense lawyers books and watched the whole trial. The prosecutor did not do his job well and they could not convict her on the charges they had against her without a reasonable doubt. Her defense lawyer did his job. That being said the whole entire family is off the rails crazy. I believe the father may have been inappropriate and that the mom was a delusional control freak. They all had serious issues. It is all disgusting and VERY sad.
I’ll never forget when they spoke to one of the members of the jury afterward. The woman answered, with a completely straight face, that she was sure she didn’t, and anyway, who are we to judge?
YOU’RE ON A JURY.
Totally understand George’s reaction. Not too much at all. What they went through was horrible, even though they themselves stoked a lot of the fires during the main event. Hindsight has shown them what really went on through all of that. And they have a smidgen of peace now, if there IS any peace after all that. I’d disown her too. I’d never want to see her smug pathological face again. And if she evers gets any money out of her ridiculous grabs for fame, it should go to her parents if there’s any left after paying back the state and local government of Florida.
Mentally ill??? Well thank you captain obvious!
She’s living with the private investigator? What?? What does he see in her??? Ay dios mio 🙄
Of course Casey is mentally ill. Look at her parents! Her father is a monster and her mother is an enabler. They’re awful. Her father very likely had a hand in covering up Caylee’s accidental death, so we should take everything he says with a grain of salt. George can say they disowned her, but who is to say Casey didn’t do the same herself with them years ago?
The media got this case so very wrong. There is an exhaustive series of posts on the reddit “Unresolved Mysteries” that lay it all out – well worth reading.
Apparently he sexually abused her since childhood. And she thought Caylee was his baby. He was in the delivery room walking around while his daughter was completely exposed, ready to give birth.
where does her income come from? is she living off of taxpayers since she doesn’t have a job??
I watched the whole trial and it’s obvious she didn’t do it.
Oh, you don’t say?