Topic : 05/22 The True Life of Marcia Brady

Hi, Mo and Michael.

This is Tommy, your cousin. I'm so sad about your father. I knew him when he was "well", and got to talk to him for hours and hours about teaching, the teen club, happiness and life in general. I can't imagine how he is trying so hard to avoid you, and even to hurt you.

I'm writing this to let Dr. Phil's followers know that first hand, I saw how much love your father had for you and Michael, and especially for Denny. The love expressed by your father was deep, and his encouragement for all people was strong, and at times even overwhelming! I just can't imagine him having anything but positive, affirming things to say to anyone, especially to his daughter and son.

It seems like your father has become almost possessed by this weird obsession to hurt you, and the only reasonable explanation is that Kevin has become a sort of sick handler for your father. All this talk about retirement fund stealing doesn't make any sense, except that Kevin wants to injure you.

I know this is just a season for you, a time of trouble. These are the best times to fall into God's hands, and let Him give you wisdom and courage. I pray for your complete success in this situation, and I would love to see ALL of us get together soon and smile again.

I'm Mo's relative, and I can tell that she is truthful in what she said in the show. Her father adored her (as well as almost every human being on earth), but this new attitude her father shows is amazingly different. He also adored Michael, and couldn't say enough about their grandchildren. But all that changed soon after the mom's death, when Kevin took him away.

I'm not here to put down Kevin, but it would be great if Kevin would stop throwing accusations at Maureen and treat her like a sister. If the dad could find it in his heart to listen to reason, I think the family could be reunited and reconciled.

Every time I got together with her immediate family, I saw hugs, kisses and love lavished all around -- more than almost any other family I've seen. Their love was genuine (not perfect, but very real), and to see them in this state really saddens me. So, I can say without a doubt that what Maureen and Michael said was true.

I'm puzzled by your stating that as a daughter, even if your father was in the wrong, you could not do this to him in public.  What exactly do you think she is "doing" to her dad?  Were you even watching the same show?  Maureen wasn't doing anything to her dad except trying to open up a dialog with him.  She was trying to get him to talk to her.  She was trying to get to the bottom of the trouble and attempt to close the distance between them.  In other words, she was trying to get her family back.  Is that so wrong?  Kids do tend to cause their parents grief when they're younger.  That's human nature.  You say "Somehow I felt they were never connected."  Dah!  Did you get the part where Dr. Phil pointed out that she hasn't been able to see her dad for two years because her brother has kept him away from the rest of the family?  He's been isolated from everyone.  Did you hear the part where Dr. Phil said the brother tried to get Maureen to sign a document stating she was mentally incompetent so he could gain control of his dad's finances?  And have you ever been the victim of mind control?  Until you've walked a mile in the shoes of someone who has, you should not question Maureen's desire to set her dad free.  It's quite obvious that the whole situation is very distressing to her and that she's not acting.  What would her motive be for acting?  She only desires to see her dad again, and have him and both her brothers in her life.  She wants everyone to get family therapy so they can be a family again.

So what if she approached her dad in public.  It seems that she had no success doing it at his home or anywhere else private so she had no choice but to approach him in public.  Don't you think it was down right creepy the way the brother could never answer a direct question, or any question for that matter.  Dr. Phil summed up his behavior perfectly by saying the brother's way of isolating his dad and dealing with Maureen was to attack her, drag her down, make her think she's the bad one, the wrong one, the problem child in the family.  But isn't it interesting that even though she repeatedly asked him to tell her what she had done wrong, to explain what he meant by his vague responses, he could not answer her except in very vague terms.  In a "normal" family, brothers and sisters take each others' inventory quite easily, reciting chapter and verse the wrongs committed against each other,  sometimes going back several years; i.e., "You dented my bumper when you borrowed my car last year." or "You never paid me back that $200 loan I gave you at Christmas", etc.  Kevin couldn't do this because his arguments are not based in reality.  When pressed, Kevin did mention that Maureen had stolen her dad's retirement fund but when she asked him to explain, he couldn't.  Kevin spouted vague accusations that were obviously not based in reality.  My sister today could state that I stole my father's retirement fund.  But the funny thing is, my dad never had a retirement fund so there was nothing to steal.  But she could say it and caste some doubt and suspicion.  Making wild accusations without backing them up with proof is the MO of someone like Kevin.  He's obviously very paranoid.  Did you see the photo of the chairs barricading the door?  What normal person does this?

Also, what in heck did you mean by your last sentence?  It simply did not make any sense.  I'll say it again.  Did you even watch the show?

 Isn't this just what Dr. Phil said at the end of this show?  LOL "there's yer sign"  Sorry just had to!

We have to be thankful that Maureen has come forward with this family situation. It doesn't really matter if it was because she wanted publicity or whether she really wants help. This is a situation happening every day and it needs to go very public. With the help of Dr. Phil maybe we can make the courts recognize these situations more easily. Most of these manipulative (sociopathic) family members are charming to the outside world. But they systematically turn their victims against those people around them. Especially anyone who can potentially make their lies fall apart. They divide and conquer. Everyone often has a different story. They often make other family members their accomplices but then eventually make them their victims too. Only the people who believe them are allowed in their inner circle. Everyone else is treated as if they are crazy, stupid or a criminal. The only good thing is  anything they accuse you of is generally a reflection of what they are doing which can give you insight to what they are doing.

This truly needs to get out to the public. A lot of people step away from their families and don't try to help. After all it is usually a toxic relationship. Sadly that is exactly what the controller wants. It allows them even more time exert their power.

We have personally been dealing with a similar situation in our own family. Unfortunately my sister has passed away leaving all her money and possessions to one of her son's who manipulated her carefully and calculatedly over a long period. She leaves three other children and many grandchildren but he made her feel that only he loved her. He first talked her into giving him her house by saying he would look after her if she did. From there he did not let the family visit.  He set up his power and control and got exactly what he wanted. And strangely believes he absolutely deserves what he has recieved. 

Make this loud and public Dr. Phil. And Maureen, do what you have to do. This needs to be heard and your public profile will help just that. It is happening too often and too much.

Maureen is not alone.  But I think she needs to think of he brother as a criminal if she wants to help her father.  I'd like to add my story.  Since childhood, my younger sister has manipulated my parents. My father died in 2000, while my sister was staying in my home for the funeral, she had a week to brainwash my mother who had been diagnosed with Dementia into thinking that I would put her in a nursing home, my parents biggest fear.  Three days after the funeral, my sister took her from my home.  I tried the courts, they failed my mother.  Two sisters arguing, they said.  My brother and I agreed that we would have to wait it out and wait for the phone call.  My sister would not be able to mask her true nature forever.  As predicted, and as I had told everyone all along, the phone call came to come pick up my mother.  The police said my mother no longer felt safe with my sister and that I should come and pick her up.  I could not reach my brother for days.  Hurricane Charley (2004) had made a direct hit.  Of course, there was only a suitcase of dirty clothes and her pension everything else was gone.

Elder abuse needs to be addressed.  My father thought that by having a trust, this would protect my mother, he was fooled!  I thought that taking my sister to court to get my mother back would work, fooled again!  Criminals have more rights than the innocent, and there should be no mistake these are criminals.  No one wins, everbody loses especially the elderly.  What is fair or what is kind can be masked by lies, greed and hatred. 

My mother has been with me for three years now, she is safe and comfortable.  Dementia is a blessings at times because she doesn't understand the world around her.  But, after working most of her life to be able to give her children everything they wanted, this was truly a crime.

Thanks, Psalms4us, for sharing such clear and honest insight.  You've really helped me to think more clearly about this matter.  My major complaint would be that the show made the brother and father out to be villains and criminals, with Ms. McCormick playing the role of victim and heroine.  It's clear from some of the things being posted on this board that the roles of good and bad have been etched clearly in the public's minds.  Even in your post, Psalms4us, you didn't make such claims, and it sounds like you would know these folks better than we.

I think the producers should have strived harder to get both sides of this story.  Family dynamics are almost always the most complex, and it's nearly impossible to dilute things into good and bad.  More objectivity, along with the lie detector test that the brother suggested, would make for a compelling future broadcast.  But episodes like this one tell me why I hardly ever watch the show anymore.

Wow this story is so crazy and sad.  I am 34 and I loved the Brady Bunch.  I did not see the show, but just read about it on Dr. Phil's site.  I hope Maureen wins all the way before it's too late.  Seems like her brother Kevin, the black sheep, has lost it.  Dressing himself and his father alike, seems very odd to me.