Amanda and Giovanni

[CombatLingerie]

Apologies if there is already a thread but I couldn’t find one. What on earth has gone on between Amanda Abbington and Giovanni Pernice during Strictly?AA is apparently taking legal action against the BBC claiming she has PTSD.

none of us know the facts though @BoilingHotand50something

Fuck me. So many people giving their "understanding of PTSD" despite having it completely fucking wrong.

Dangerous

I assumed, at the time, that she had withdrawn from Strictly because she would be away from her partner for too long, given that he has quite severe disabilities and that she was needed at home. She also posted about depression too, so was clearly struggling from very early on.

Couldn't agree more!! People fling serious illnesses/conditions about these days. Like, Oh, that's just my OCD! People really need to be educated about these genuine and debilitating illnesses. PTSD, included.

There is a difference between PTSD and C-PTSD. You are describing PTSD. I think it's fariky obvious that what this woman is describing/alleging is C-PTSD.

Far be it from me to contradict all the experts here, but no one actually knows anything. So I don't understand this rush to judge.
For what it's worth, I worked with Amanda a few years back and she was perfectly pleasant and professional. I don't profess to 'know' her other than in a work capacity, but some kind of screaming diva / snowflake she most definitely was not.

I actually quite admire her if she does sue.

She's an older woman (51?) and maybe she's got to the stage where she gives zero fucks about pickme behaviour or if people judge her or think she's a snowflake or not.

I know when I've been targeted by sexist bullies it's often as they don't feel I perform submissive femininity enough for them...

I don't really follow the cast that much, but maybe the guy wanted a "young looking partner" (ie all the fuss about spending time with Laura Whitmore, who thought he was creepy anyway) then he gets A BOLSHY MIDDLE AGED WOMAN with short hair and decides to let loose.

she was bullied at school and had therapy,
She was bullied at school by “a group of girls who made my life miserable”, which had a lasting effect. “It informed most of my life. I realised that when I went into therapy. You never come out of childhood unscathed, but you either have to process it and get past it, or hold on to it and have a not very nice life.”

so she has a history

Could be CPTSD, yes of course, or delayed onset-PTSD. Someone mentioned upthread that maybe her experience on Strictly could have triggered post-traumatic symptoms related to earlier trauma/s (which earlier trauma/s could have been at a level which qualifies for a PTSD diagnosis). Certainly possible.

Projection much ...

I thought she was taking legal action because of a diagnosis of PTSD. Sounds like an accusation to me.

We've reached the pinnacle. There are no words.

Hang on...

What a load of insulting, ignorant tosh.

That's IIT to you.

I think the BBC and Amanda's lawyers need to get a true account from Laura, Ritchie and anyone else who worked with him who found him difficult

Obviously their comments need to be be kept secret from the public domain so as not to affect them or their careers but they need to be heard and allowed to be truthful and honest

No, they only meet in the first episode, they have two weeks' training, thereafter one week.

She could of course also try to take legal action in relation to non-PTSD mental health issues, if she felt them to be caused by her experience on Strictly. You don't have to have PTSD to sue for psychological damage (although you tend to get somewhat higher compensation if you do have the diagnosis).

@ATerrorofLeftovers the qualifying trauma does not have to involve a death at all, see my earlier post.

@Willmafrockfit

Yes that’s my point. We don’t know what happened so shouldn’t judge.

I am not quite sure what your point is though?

To me the most that can be said as an outsider is that there has been an awful mismatch. Relationships are unique and potentially toxic if the wrong two people are brought together.

Who knows but I doubt that she’ll get much out of GP if she does sue him.

My guess is that all the dance pros are protected by watertight contracts saying that if their partners suffer any kind of injury or ongoing condition due to participating in Strictly, they’re not liable. People suffer so many injuries on Strictly that there has to be something like that in place. Of course, it would generally apply to physical health, but mental health could be covered too.

I have no idea, just speculating.

Very good point. Also, everything is relative so whilst it might seem a little OTT, we don't actually know the background. He should know by now how to get the best out of his partners and adapt his style.

So, what would you call it then? She says she has been diagnosed with PTSD following her stint on strictly and, after taking legal advice, wants the footage of her rehearsals with Giovanni.

That is a clear accusation.

I agree, @SoupDragon . Very clear accusation.

Admire her? Is that a joke? She's claiming to have a serious condition in order to get some kind of pay out. There's nothing to be admired in that

IANAM and IANAL. I am not even sure that the below are the most recent positions. But medical manuals set quite a high bar for the traumatic event that triggers PTSD.

DSM-5:death, threatened death, actual or threatened serious injury, or actual or threatened sexual violence

ICD-10: Exposure to an event or situation (either short- or long-lasting) of an extremely threatening or horrific nature. Such events include, but are not limited to, directly experiencing natural or human-made disasters, combat, serious accidents, torture, sexual violence, terrorism, assault or acute life-threatening illness (e.g., a heart attack); witnessing the threatened or actual injury or death of others in a sudden, unexpected, or violent manner; and learning about the sudden, unexpected or violent death of a loved one.

Of course, as others have said, that does not mean that bullying cannot cause terrible harm, but it seems hard to fit that into the definitions above.

Len Goodman once gave him an on air dressing down which first alerted me to the fact that he might not be the nicest of characters. I don't think being driven or being a perfectionist is an excuse to treat people poorly.

Really? How do you 'know' she's 'claiming' 'to get some kind of payout' ? Do you have some kind of insider knowledge ? Are you part of her legal team?
Or - could it be that just maybe she has a legitimate claim?