Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau: From Scandal to Marriage

Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau’s controversial relationship began when she became pregnant with her 13-year-old student. After serving nearly eight years in prison, they married in 2005. They now have two teenage daughters together and reflect on the challenges of their unique relationship during an interview with Barbara Walters.

Mary Kay Letourneau is one of those names that rings a bell—especially if it involves scandal. In 1997, she hit the headlines for a relationship that some would say was, well, quite controversial to say the least. Letourneau, a former Seattle schoolteacher, became pregnant with the child of her then-13-year-old student, Vili Fualaau, and the ensuing saga captured national attention like few other stories can.

After their affair was exposed, Letourneau faced nearly eight years behind bars, during which she gave birth to two daughters—one was born while she was still doing time. Fast forward to 2005, and the couple tied the knot just ten months after her release. Now, as they prepare to celebrate ten years of marriage, Mary is 53, and Vili is, get this, 31 years old. That’s quite the age gap!

In a sit-down with Barbara Walters—who else?—the couple opened up about parenting their now-teenage daughters and how their relationship has, uh, progressed over the years. Vili commented, “I don’t think there’s ever a full 10 good years of marriage… What matters is how you pull through all the bad times.”

Their relationship timeline is pretty fascinating. It all kicked off in the early ’90s when a young Vili was just a seven-year-old in Mary’s second-grade class. Seems innocent enough until five years later when, at 12, he found himself again in her classroom as a sixth grader, with Mary now at a ripe 34—older than her oldest son! Can you say awkward?

The affair blossomed during that school year. They bonded over art projects—classic teacher-student stuff—until it turned into something a bit more scandalous. Once Mary got pregnant, they had to fess up—hello, national outrage! On November 14, 1997, she was sentenced to 89 months after pleading guilty to child rape charges. Yikes.

Mary stepped out of prison after just 80 days, but not long after, she and Vili were caught violating a court order to stay away from each other. With baby clothes in tow! So, back to prison she went. Vili, then just 15, welcomed their second daughter when she was released from her re-stint in prison.

When she got out for the second time, it wasn’t just freedom. It was a whole new life. In 2005, they wed in a what some might call a star-studded affair—or at least, glamorous given the circumstances—complete with flower girls! Their sparkly wedding video even went for a cool $750,000. I guess you could say they turned their misfortune into a fortune!

Now, as they mark their decade together, they’re just trying to live like any other family. Their daughters, Georgia and Audrey, aged 16 and 17, go to the same school district where Mary once taught—how’s that for irony? In her recent chat with Walters, Mary shared, “It is our 10-year anniversary… there’s going to be a wave of intrusion in our life right now that we can’t stop.” From a sex offender to a loving mum, it’s all a bit of a rollercoaster ride.

Vili works at a garden centre and also DJs—his stage name is “DJ Headline.” He reflected on the challenges of being so young and thrust into parenthood. “It was a huge change… I didn’t feel like I had the right support from anyone in general,” he said. Meanwhile, Mary’s now working as a legal assistant, with hopes of getting back into teaching, even starting up tutoring. She’s still on the sex offender registry and trying to get that off too. Talk about ups and downs!

So there you have it, from scandal to matrimony, Mary Kay Letourneau and Vili Fualaau have certainly taken the road less travelled. Their story is a wild blend of love, drama, and the challenges of parenting—one that most families can only imagine. As they celebrate their ten-year wedding anniversary, they’re still navigating the complexities of their unique past while providing a semblance of normalcy for their children. It’s a tale that will remain part of pop culture, no doubt about it!

Original Source: abcnews.go.com