Oprah today: The missing groom's wife speaks

[vettechick99]

You know, the groom who disappeared from a cruise ship in Turkey...

What do you think about her appearance today? I just don't get her. I'm trying my best not to judge, but I'm so perplexed about her behavior that night. She winds up passed out in a hallway, far away from her room, gets put to bed and wakes up fresh 4 hours later remembering her massage appointment? No "where is my brand new husband"? No "why didn't he come home"? No "should I go look for him"? She had a sexy Swedish masseuse and some hot stones on the brain!

Instead of using this important airtime to blow the case wide open, she spent half the show going on and on about how "mistreated" she was by RCC. How they didn't pay her plane ticket home, how she wasn't escorted by security but by some chick named Maria, and that she deserves an apology (and don't forget daddy!) for all that RCC has done to her.

I'm just confused by it all. I like a cocktail as much as the next honeymooner, but I can tell you I never, ever, ever would have slept alone or brushed off his disappearance like she has. Am I alone?

Your thoughts?

 

[Alicnwondrln]

i missed this show to bad iw ould have liked to watch
weve had no power since noon we just got it back

 

[gradtchr]

To many thoughts to actually type out.

 

[lulugirl]

I didn't see the entire show, but she rubbed me the wrong way.

 

[CharityLynn]

I wonder and this going to sound stupid but maybe she witnessed it and her mind has blocked it out somehow? i know I watch way too many detective shows lol.


Another thought I ahd about it was how she was all about me, me, me..yes RCC could have done somethings differnt but they did what they could and her throwing a fit about them continuing the cruise, they blocked off the room and I do believe he said the room is still blocked off. RCC is a business while what happend is so sad and horrible does she expect all of the pther people on the ship to miss their entire vacation? Ok wow that sounds really horrible...but someone has to know what I mean.

 

[Royalbear]

I agree. And what is even weirder is that she in not in contact with the groom's family at all. Won't even explain to them where she was for the night. Now my in-laws and I do not get along very well, but we al love my dh(most days) and I certainly would keep the doors of communication open with them even after dh died.

 

[hentob]

Darn! I missed it

Off to the Oprah.com boards to hear what the other viewers thought. Will be back to see if this thread catches on.

Very interesting what you guys have to say about her. I always wondered why she was so private. Had that been my husband, I would be on every news show, right beside his parents. But she wasn't. Ever.

 

[vettechick99]

Another thought I ahd about it was how she was all about me, me, me..

Exactly! Why did she spend so much time going on and on about minor things when her husband is still missing and there are so many unanswered questions.

And when she said that they had been together 3 (whole!) years and they trust each other and in essence, don't need to be up each other's butts, I had to laugh. My DH and I have been together exactly 3 years and we never, ever, ever would have spent our honeymoon apart for any length of time. Especially overnight!

I'm not saying she's guilty, but she sure isn't believable. Maybe she is related to Gary Condit.

 

[lulugirl]

A little OT, but interesting...
Last December my brother and his wife went on a cruise (I don't know what cruise line), they had a great time. They were home for two days and my brother happens to see this news article online about a woman who disappeared while on a cruise. He realizes she disappeared while on the same cruise he had just returned from! Neither him nor his wife had a clue that this had happened, they weren't questioned or anything.
I found it all very odd.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I agree with you--hubby and I never left one another on our honeymoon cruise (save trips to the bathroom when we weren't in our cabin).

I got sick one night (always get seasick on day 4 of a cruise but then am otherwise fine). We hung out in the cabin.

However--in general the cruise line is under scrutiny for situations such as this. They had a big article in our local paper (since we are home to Port Canaveral).

So I think that the wife has a BIG BIG cause---we don't know about her pain and suffering. Unlike Natalie Holloway--it isn't as though she can go to a location hoping to find him. He disappeared in the middle of the ocean. He pretty much is as good as gone.

While I didn't see the show--I have no problem with her taking the victim's advocate role b/c she too was a victim of this. Maybe this would have never happened had they treated their honeymoon like a honeymoon and not two roomies on spring break--but that is neither hear nor there.

Regardless of how people "behave" on cruises--cruise lines need to be a bit less worried about getting their passengers to port on time and more concerned about the passengers that quite possibly are the victims of foul play.

She is not the first nor the last to be treated as she was when an incident of this nature has occurred on a cruise line.

(again--did not see the show, just sharing my opinion from that perspective)

 

[OhMari]

What did Oprah say?

 

[MoniqueU]

I missed half of it and have the rest on Tivo. I always thought it was odd she didn't wake up and wonder where her husband was. I also heard on some news show she showed up to the massage in her clothes from the night before. Not sure what that has to do with him going missing I just found it odd she didn't bother to change.

 

[mookie]

She was pretty vague about a lot of things, and all that she kept saying was that "she would also like to remember things that happened, but she can't." Regardless, she didn't look too broken up about it to me. I think digging up all of those things that happened that night, would cause you to get a little weepy. Her being upset looked a bit staged. She was able to turn it on and off in an instant.

I would really like to believe her, but I just can't. I think she knows what happened, but she doesn't want to admit it because it will make her look bad, too.

 

[RadioNate]

I saw a good portion of the show. I kinda found her believable. Yes she was cool and disconnected and doesn't remember a thing but I don't think she's lying either.

It has been 6 months so I didn't expect her to be all greif stricken. We all do things differently.

I don't want to go as far as saying I saw some of myself in here but I know that I deal with death extreamly calmly. I do get disconnected and unemotional. I tend to freak out at little things and keep a cool head when real disasters strike.

I think there is a possibility she was drugged. Maybe one of their new male friends slipped her something. It happens all the time.

People do black out from drinking, people do black out from trauma.

I also wanted to add that I didn't think she was very smart. She didn't seem like the brightest bulb out there. Seemed Jessica Simpson-ish to me. I know a couple of girls like that and they are obvilious to a lot going on around them.

They seemed so trusting to be hanging out with all these people they just met 8 days or less ago.

I thought it was weird that she didn't talk to the inlaws. But if heaven forbid something happened to my DH I don't think I'd keep in contact with them much if we didn't have a child.

Something definately shady happened.

They also said that the FBI has told her not to tell everything that happened. I think there may be an answer for some of the holes but she isn't talking about them publically.

I did laugh at the 3 years comment though. When she started her sentence I thought she was going to say 10 years or something.

I didn't see much with the RCC guy. I know she was angry but I do see RCC's side. They couldn't have just ended the cruise there or transferred everyone to another ship. The investigating gov't released them. Do I think they wanted to keep it quiet and play it up as an accident definately but I don't think them continuing to sail was part of a huge conspiracy.

 

[christineann]

I didn't get to see the show, but from what I have seen on the news and read in the papers, she doesn't seem to be very straightforward about the whole matter. A good place for her to start would be AA.

 

[ZachnElli]

I have a different take on it too. I found her believable. Actually, my dh did too (my dh watched Oprah! LOL!). My dh came up with a pretty good theory that she was date rape drugged and maybe her dh was trying to protect her, caught them in the act and they killed him. Just a theory. As for not talking to her in-laws, I think they are not talking to her. They want answers and she doesn't have any. They seem to be focusing their anger and blame all on her. She also said "George IS athletic" "George doesn't bounce into walls" like he's still here. I wonder if she's in a bit of denial herself.

 

[preb]

I missed the very beginning. What time did her husband come back to the cabin and was he alone?

Also, did they address the "rumor" of her having a relationship with/leaving the casino that nigh with the casino manager?

Also, I thought it was pretty stupid when the "friend" in the audience said that she spoke with the bride at 2:30 am and she hadn't been drinking. The bride had already stated that they had been drinking heavily that night, so what was the point of the friend denying it?

I also thought she spent the entire show blaming Royal Caribbean for how they treated her. She wasn't willing to take accountability for her or her husbands actions that led up to whatever happened.

As far as not wondering where her husband was the next morning...I have to admit that I like to sleep in and my husband is an early riser. When we cruise (and we've been on over 20), it's not unusual for him to get up and eat breakfast without me. He does, however, usually leave me a note. Plus, I've always fallen asleep next to him!

The whole story is strange and just doesn't add up.

 

[bimshire]

It's all me, me, me with the bride.

Here is the timeline according to RCL.
Royal Caribbean International Responds To Allegations Involving George Smith's Disappearance With Factual Chronology

MIAMI - January 5, 2006 - George Smith, IV tragically disappeared from the Brilliance of the Seas sometime in the early morning hours of July 5, 2005, while the ship was sailing in the Mediterranean Sea on a 12-day cruise enroute to Turkey. The reason for his disappearance is being thoroughly investigated by the FBI but is still unknown. The FBI has requested that Royal Caribbean and others connected with the incident limit their remarks so as not to compromise that investigation, and we have resisted commenting until now. Even today, we will not comment on items which could interfere with the FBI's investigation.

All of us at Royal Caribbean extend our deepest sympathies to Jennifer Hagel Smith and the whole Smith family. They have suffered an inconsolable loss, and it is totally understandable they want answers and some measure of closure regarding Mr. Smith's disappearance. However, there has been a lot of inaccurate and unfair speculation about our company's response to the incident, and the time has come to set the record straight.

I. Royal Caribbean acted immediately upon learning Mr. Smith might have gone overboard, searched for him, and performed a thorough investigation to find out what happened.
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/ourCo...Vuh2m-_9:10ktdmnut?prDate=01-05-2006&prCode=A

and the top 10 myths according to RCL:
Myth 1. Royal Caribbean engaged in a deliberate cover-up, which impeded the investigation. The company washed down the canopy in the morning, before the authorities even arrived and then painted over the blood.
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/ourCo...Vuh2m-_9:10ktdmnut?prDate=01-12-2006&prCode=A

 

[poohandwendy]

From the first time I saw her interviewed, I have felt she was either involved or knows what happened. I missed todays Oprah, but I am totally convinced she is not an innocent party in this.

Her story doesn't add up, her demeanor is shady...she was involved. JMHO

 

[disykat]

I saw most of this show and actually have a more favorable view of her than before. I was under the impression from the media that they were drunk and partying the whole time. From the friend in the audience and her own account, it sounds like they drank socially only and not to the point of drunkeness - very different from my previous understanding.

I didn't see anything about her upset at the cruise line - that must have been towards the end or when I was out of the room.

I'm also confused about her getting up and going for a massage and didn't see where (or if) they addressed that issue.

I'm surprised they didn't test her blood alcohol limit and check for drugs at the time as part of their gathering of evidence. Even if she wasn't considered a suspect at the time, the fact that they found her passed out about the time he went missing should have flagged the possibility of foul play involving her.