90 Day Fiance: Colt Johnson a Victim of Abused-Husband Epidemic?
90 Day Fiance’s Colt Johnson and Larissa Christina just went through a third round of alleged domestic violence. Larissa was arrested on three separate occasions. So, is Colt Johnson an abused husband? Or did the police get it wrong all three times?
Do these instances point to the often-ignored statistic of males being physically abused by their significant others? Here’s a look at some disturbing data and how it may relate to Colt’s reality.
90 Day Fiance: Colt Johnson Not Arrested, Larissa Was
90 Day Fiance Larissa Christina seems to have a temper and an attitude to match. Her sheer force of personality easily commands attention. The minute she walks into a room, everyone knows it. On the other hand, Colt couldn’t be more unlike her.
The software engineer is soft-spoken and demure. He rarely raises his voice. Expressing outrage is likely a foreign concept to him. It’s not difficult to picture Larissa taking charge. Is this what happened during their most recent altercation?
Since the responding police officers arrested Larissa rather than Colt, they likely know something that 90 Day Fiance viewers don’t. Although Larissa Christina claimed abuse, the LVPD saw something else. Otherwise, they would have arrested Colt instead of Larissa – or arrested them both, right?
Larissa’s third Mugshot #90dayfiance pic.twitter.com/cTcnL2vFgT
— 90 Day Fiance Tea (@90dayfiancetea) January 13, 2019
Abuse on Men by the Numbers
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) 25% of men have been the victim of “some form of physical violence by an intimate partner”. And one in seven men have been subject to “severe physical violence”. According to advocacy group Domestic Shelters, men are equally as likely to be psychologically abused by their partner.
While it is true that women are more often the victim of physical violence than men, abuse of men is a growing problem. More than 200 academic studies focus on this rising problem. The Mayo Clinic lists these warnings signs of domestic violence against men:
- Acts constantly jealous or possessive
- Hits, slaps, shoves, or kicks you
- Interferes in relationships with family
- Tries to control how you spend money
- Blames you for their violent behavior
Police at Larissa and Colt’s right now. #90DayFiance pic.twitter.com/D8CT8DdekN
— John Yates (@JohnYates327) January 11, 2019
Warning Signs of Colt Johnson Potential Abuse
There are more red flags on the list, but these all relate to scenes played out on 90 Day Fiance or Colt and Larissa’s social media daily. Often, male victims of domestic abuse suffer in silence. Due to the shame associated with “letting” a female abuse them, many instances of abuse against men go unreported.
There’s an underlying stigma attached to a man reporting abuse. A sense of shame is attached when there’s a perceived lack of machismo. It’s viewed as an inability to “man-up”. 90 Day Fiance Colt lived with his mom Debbie Johnson and his cats before Larissa. He’s not the picture of masculinity. Perhaps that makes him an easy target.
Abused Husbands Don’t Report Violence Against Them
Many men don’t report these incidents. That means the actual number of male victims of relationship violence may be greater than law enforcement statistics indicate. Across Walls says that women are arrested just 25% of the time when it comes to domestic violence incidents.
That means usually, when the police come, it’s the man that winds up in handcuffs. Yet with 90 Day Fiance Larissa Christina, all three arrests were hers. That’s extremely uncommon and is another potential sign that Colt Johnson is the victim, not the aggressor. Police are well-trained to recognize signs of abuse.
Researching male domestic abuse victims..shocking statistics. & they're laughed at or "weak" when they reach out ? pic.twitter.com/23eDvn3UvB
— Catrina Hamid (@bookswinefamily) July 10, 2016
Colt Johnson Defends Himself
The Mayo Clinic also noted that men living in abusive situations may observe a pattern. There’s the threat of violence, then the act of violence. That’s followed by the abuser apologizing and offering to make things up to their victim. Then the cycle restarts.
If this is what’s happening, it now seems 90 Day Fiance Colt Johnson might finally be speaking up. Although he didn’t press charges on her first two arrests, Colt said publicly that he would this time. He also filed divorce from Larissa Christina the day after the latest alleged attack.
Colt Johnson is a computer programmer – working in a male-dominated industry. He may be catching flak from his peers and co-workers and that’s why he’s been hesitant to take action until now. It will be interesting to see what happens when Larissa has her day in court next month.
90 Day Fiance: Does Larissa Have a Hidden Motive?
As far as Larissa Christina goes, she may have had an ulterior motive. See the two photos above? They differ greatly but were just a couple of hours apart. On the left is Larissa as she portrayed herself on her Instagram. On the right is her arrest mugshot taken shortly after the incident. Plus, the police indicated they believed her injuries were self-inflicted.
An inside source at TLC familiar with 90 Day Fiance cast members spoke with Soap Dirt. The insider says they believe, from their personal observations, that Larissa was trying to get a K1 abuse waiver. Essentially, there’s a “domestic violence green card” exception with the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
Who’s the Victim?
If Larissa Christina were the victim of domestic abuse, she could be eligible to file her own claim. She wouldn’t need her 90 Day Fiance. The insider says that she might have been trying to get Colt arrested but wound up in trouble herself. Of course, no one but Colt, Larissa (and perhaps Debbie Johnson) know what really went on in their home.
Colt Johnson might be an abused husband, the victim of domestic violence. Then again, so could Larissa Christina. Or both might be abusing the other – there are reams of documented cases of mutual abuse of partners. We will likely never know what happened with Colt and Larissa – but unless Colt drops the charges, a judge will decide her fate.
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