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Pregnant Elizabeth Holmes to be jailed for fraud

73 replies

AuntieJoyce · 19/11/2022 08:14

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-63685131

Just wondering what MNers think about this. Bold or selfish decision to conceive two children whilst awaiting serious fraud charges that mean you could be away from your children, in this case for 11 years?

OP posts:
ThickAndThick · 19/11/2022 08:55

I really enjoyed the series. This woman is clearly extremely set in her way and don't care what others think. Not to be offensive or insensitive but I had wondered if she is high functioning ASD, which would explain to some degree her obsessive and uncompromising devotion to her product. The way this story was televised it was very interesting (and frustrating) to watch. She has hurt a lot of innocent people.

TheYearOfSmallThings · 19/11/2022 08:56

Well it's not ideal, but she will be out in 4 or 5 years (if she actually goes in) and she couldn't really have postponed having children if she wanted them at all.

BobbyBobbyBobby · 19/11/2022 08:57

‘Sorry, I can’t come to your birthday party, I’m visiting my mother in prison!’

’Oh your mummy is a nurse and your mummy works in a shop. My mummy is in prison!’

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ZenNudist · 19/11/2022 08:58

Awful thing to do to those poor children. My first thought was last chance to have children but it would be really awful if she didn't even want them and just did it for clemency.

I feel so sad for the eldest who is going to really notice their mother going.

Maybe the dad wanted them. Hope so.

Charlize43 · 19/11/2022 09:17

I kind of expected her to get pregnant when she got busted.

But to be honest I also expected her to feign health problems (weak heart, etc) to try and lessen her sentence.

She's a scam artist: Calculated and looking to deceive.

Seveninfour · 19/11/2022 09:18

So what if it is her ‘last chance’ - having kids isn’t just about parental choice, it means bringing an actual human into the world who will live with the implications of your decisions for their whole life. Having a baby knowing that you are going to give them a really difficult start is so selfish.

Given the way that she has lived her life up to this point I suspect it’s just another roll of the dice to try & get her own way and preserve her extreme wealth & privilege.

The Netflix series was really interesting & tried to explain her actions in a reasonable way, but I think the way she has behaved throughout the legal process just doesn’t fit with that narrative.

LaGioconda · 19/11/2022 09:19

ThickAndThick · 19/11/2022 08:55

I really enjoyed the series. This woman is clearly extremely set in her way and don't care what others think. Not to be offensive or insensitive but I had wondered if she is high functioning ASD, which would explain to some degree her obsessive and uncompromising devotion to her product. The way this story was televised it was very interesting (and frustrating) to watch. She has hurt a lot of innocent people.

What was the TV series?

Charlize43 · 19/11/2022 09:21

I'm sure her next move will be to find a writer to write a screenplay that she / her family can lucratively sell to Netflix. Probably already can see herself played by Charlize Theron or Scarlett Johansson.

Seveninfour · 19/11/2022 09:23

It was called The Dropout - based on an excellent podcast series (same name) which I would really recommend.

Seveninfour · 19/11/2022 09:24

Sorry, it’s on Disney+ not Netflix

Phos · 19/11/2022 09:35

No sympathy for her. I wouldn’t be surprised if this to try get lenient treatment.

I feel sorry for the trauma and stigma her kids will have to endure.

CarefreeMe · 19/11/2022 09:38

This is a very well known tactic to get out of jail / reduce jail time.

In her case she’ll probably get better treatment because she’s pregnant.

I know of a few men who’ve been waiting to be sentenced and their girlfriends have happened to get pregnant right before their trial and the judge has noted it and either not given them any jail time or given them a reduced sentence because they’re about to have a child.

My SIL also received no jail time as she was pregnant.

Januarcelebration · 19/11/2022 09:50

The article says she isn’t reporting to prison until April 27th. I am guessing that she will give birth before going in.

She had the first child, after being charged.

I am sorry but I still think the ‘well it might be my last chance to have children so I might as well’ line of thinking is still awful.

nauticant · 19/11/2022 12:12

Perhaps she was aware of a previous Elizabeth who received a sentence: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_Proctor

Soothsayer1 · 19/11/2022 12:21

Surely she is a sociopath and her children will just be pawns in her games?

Ivyonafence · 19/11/2022 13:29

Apparently no early parole because it's a federal prison? Just listened to the drop out podcast update.

IntentionalError · 19/11/2022 13:36

Holmes is a cynical, manipulative individual. She obviously thought that becoming a mother would get her some leniency. Fortunately, the judge saw through her and sentenced her to 11 years. Good for him, and good for the justice system for demonstrating that rich, privileged, attractive white women don’t get special treatment.

TheSnugglyDuckling · 19/11/2022 13:37

I would highly recommend reading the book by the journalist who first revealed the fraud in the Wall Street Journal - it’s called Bad Blood and it reads like a thriller. Some of her behaviour in the book is utterly chilling. They didn’t even touch on some of it in the TV series because you couldn’t have fit it all in.

Holmes is an absolute sociopath - she hired people to follow/spy on the journalist and his sources (one of whom was George Schultz’s grandson, Tyler). She tried to get the WSJ story shut down by Rupert Murdoch - one of her investors, who also owns the paper - multiple times and to his utter credit he refused, meaning he lost hundreds of millions of dollars. George Schultz’s son gave a victim impact statement in which he said his son Tyler slept with a knife under his pillow because he was terrified she’d put a hit on him.

She knowingly allowed cancer patients and other patients with serious illnesses to get the wrong test results because her product didn’t work. And she defrauded people out of millions.

I can absolutely believe she got pregnant to try and get reduced jail time. I don’t know what her husband was thinking even starting a relationship with her in the first place. I believe he’s pretty rich and is funding all her fancy lawyers too. She deserved to have had the book thrown at her.

(As a side note, apparently Leighton Meester (Blair in Gossip Girl) was born while her mother was in prison, can’t remember what for.)

Softplayhooray · 19/11/2022 13:41

Wow she sounds like a cold, dead behind the eyes scam artist. Who'd have 2 babies while facing a potentially super long jail sentence? Seems like a clear, cynical roll of the dice move to use babies to try to get a more lenient sentence. People like that are dangerous.

I wonder how often the kids will be able to visit. Even if she does half that sentence, that's years and years of the most formative part of their life. I read also that she might have to pay back hundreds of millions. What if she can't afford it, does the sentence increase? She has a rich husband so I guess maybe he'll pay.

RandomMusings7 · 19/11/2022 13:42

MichelleScarn · 19/11/2022 08:17

Bold, selfish and calculated.

Absolutely this

Duchess379 · 19/11/2022 13:44

Selfish & conniving, gets pregnant whilst awaiting trial, probably to soften the judges. Didn't work though did it?

Farmageddon · 19/11/2022 13:50

CareFreeMe
This is a very well known tactic to get out of jail / reduce jail time.

Exactly, it's a sort of malingering. Remember when Harvey Weinstein hobbled up to court using a walking stick and appearing really frail. It's all bullshit to try and garner sympathy.

Holmes is a complete nutjob, I feel so sorry for her children.

astronewt · 19/11/2022 13:52

Charlize43 · 19/11/2022 09:21

I'm sure her next move will be to find a writer to write a screenplay that she / her family can lucratively sell to Netflix. Probably already can see herself played by Charlize Theron or Scarlett Johansson.

There are laws in the US to prevent convicted criminals from profiting from their crimes in this way. Otherwise every serial killer could sell their story for salacious movies and become rich.

There may be ways a fleet of skilled lawyers could work around it, but she can't just sell her story for money. I think convicted criminals may even legally forfeit the right to their own "story".

Untitledsquatboulder · 19/11/2022 13:53

She white and rich and committed a white collar crime. I sincerely doubt that she'll serve much jail time.

TimeForMeToF1y · 19/11/2022 14:05

TheSnugglyDuckling · 19/11/2022 13:37

I would highly recommend reading the book by the journalist who first revealed the fraud in the Wall Street Journal - it’s called Bad Blood and it reads like a thriller. Some of her behaviour in the book is utterly chilling. They didn’t even touch on some of it in the TV series because you couldn’t have fit it all in.

Holmes is an absolute sociopath - she hired people to follow/spy on the journalist and his sources (one of whom was George Schultz’s grandson, Tyler). She tried to get the WSJ story shut down by Rupert Murdoch - one of her investors, who also owns the paper - multiple times and to his utter credit he refused, meaning he lost hundreds of millions of dollars. George Schultz’s son gave a victim impact statement in which he said his son Tyler slept with a knife under his pillow because he was terrified she’d put a hit on him.

She knowingly allowed cancer patients and other patients with serious illnesses to get the wrong test results because her product didn’t work. And she defrauded people out of millions.

I can absolutely believe she got pregnant to try and get reduced jail time. I don’t know what her husband was thinking even starting a relationship with her in the first place. I believe he’s pretty rich and is funding all her fancy lawyers too. She deserved to have had the book thrown at her.

(As a side note, apparently Leighton Meester (Blair in Gossip Girl) was born while her mother was in prison, can’t remember what for.)

I agree with you about the book, it is very good but I'm glad I listened to the podcast first as I'm not sure I'd have understood it as well.

I'm dont feel quite so sorry for the investors, they could have done more due dilgence and applied a bit more critical thought to the whole concept

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