Mary Kay Letourneau died of cancer at the age of 58 in 2020. Later that year, Vili Fualaau appeared on “The Dr. Oz Show” to discuss their final times together and his thoughts about her. The emotional interview revealed that Fualaau had relocated to California, but upon learning that Letourneau was sick, he traveled to visit her. Fualaau revealed thatthe two stayed in touch until her death. In fact, he was present when she died.
Fualaau described the experience as difficult, comparing the preparation for Letourneau’s death with their separation during her time in prison. “When we had first met, you know, I was a lot younger,” he said. “And she was ripped out of my life at that time. And so, you know, this time it’s… There’s not going to be another letter, and there’s not going to be a phone call or a text. I think preparing myself mentally for that was the hardest part.”
He also addressed the elephant in the room, and while he noted that judging Letourneau without knowing her is easy, he personally wouldn’t do to a younger person what she did to him. “I’d probably go and seek some help,” Fualaau said. “I couldn’t look at a 13-year-old and, you know, be attracted to that because it’s just not in my brain. It’s nothing that I’m attracted to.”
If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN’s National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
