Remembering The Woman Who Sued Her Husband's Mistress: 'The Price of a Broken Heart' (The Hutelmyer Case)
The Price of a Broken Heart, based on Dot Hutelmyer, is true movie nostalgia. I remember this movie and the real case. The true story made headlines in the 1990s when jilted North Carolina wife, Dorothy Hutelmyer, sued her husband's mistress.
The Price of a Broken Heart is also known as Alienation of Affection. The 1999 legal courtroom drama has some heartbreaking moments.
We see a devoted wife and mother who encourages her husband every step of the way. But the more his business flourished, the more his eyes wandered. What a shame…
It was a long marriage, and Dorothy felt the difference after 18 years. Joe had lost it for her. They were no longer sleeping together, and well, he seemed to have no interest in her.
Then, he left.
Whoa..
He broke her heart. But he didn’t get away. Dot Hutelmyer was not going to let this woman take her man without compensation.
And Joe? Well, he wouldn't get an ounce of peace until they paid.
After a while, it was no longer about getting him back. Who wants a cheater back? She decided, however, that if THAT woman wanted HER man, she’d have to pay...legally.
Dot Hutelmyer took it to the courts. And she won. She thought they’d stay together forever. It was a storybook marriage complete with three children.
He was a romantic husband. He wrote poetry and treated her kindly. Dot believed the mistress targeted her man and pulled after him---encouraging him to leave his devoted wife.
One of the worst parts about the ordeal is everyone at his job knew about the affair. This embarrassed and humiliated Dot.
How could he?
He wasn’t even discreet.
The once-loving wife took it to court because she wanted someone to acknowledge that this was wrong and shouldn’t be taken lightly.
In the end, Dot received $4,000 a month in alimony and support for her children. She also kept the $300,000 marital home.
And the lawsuit?
She won a $1 million judgment against the woman who broke up her marriage.
I often think about Dot. If anyone knows how she is, I’d love to know. I thought this was a good case to remember.
On TikTok, it’s surprising to see the “side piece culture.” These women are bold, and they make videos to taunt married women of all races. They are proud and relentless, often saying, the man couldn’t have been happy in his marriage if she could take him.
What?
In 17 years of marriage, I haven’t faced that problem with my husband that I know of, but if I were to come to know it—I suspect, I wouldn’t be receiving $1 million or anything close to that…I’d gladly hand over a cheating husband for free…
And that's not a flex. A woman never truly knows her man or anyone else for that matter. They should always stay on guard and be ready to let him go...That's my philosophy.
Fight over who? And for what?
Pay me...and goodbye. That's what Dot said.
Dororthy Hutelmyer told The Tuscaloosa News that she hasn’t given up on love or trust, though she admitted: “I don’t think a woman can trust her husband too much.”
Well…it was real love…I guess. In the end, the mistress got her man. And Dot got that money and some peace of mind…