Photos of mega British celebrity chef Nigella Lawson being manhandled by her husband, multi-millionaire art collector Charles Saatchi are the talk of the day. In the shocking expose by the Sunday People, Saatchi is seen clutching his wife's throat on several occasions, while she appears distressed and terrified.
Since the release of the pictures, the media has been on overdrive, attempting to get at the private story behind the very public row, and questioning why no paparazzi—or witnesses, for that matter—dared to get involved when a woman was being visibly attacked.
For a time police even got involved, examining the photos, though no complaint was lodged. Inevitably, Saatchi has finally responded, in London's Evening Standard, claiming that what the world witnessed was no more than a "playful tiff" in which he "held Nigella's neck repeatedly while attempting to emphasise my point" about the couple's teenage children (from respective previous marriages).
Maybe the photos, and Nigella's tears, make the encounter look more violent than it actually was. Still, it is a great disservice to women everywhere to play down their argument. No disagreement, public or private, should involve physical force—of any kind. And abuse is never glamorous, not even when celebrities are involved.
For her part, Nigella has previously admitted that her marriage with Saatchi, now 9 years strong, is best described as "tempestuous."
Just goes to show, even colossal celebrities aren't immune to abusive and demeaning relationships.
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