Talking to Lorena Bobbitt

True story -- I met Lorena Bobbitt years ago at a salon in Virginia. I needed someone to wax my eyebrows last minute and didn't have an appointment.

Lorena kindly said she would squeeze me in although she had an already-packed schedule doing her specialty at the time, cutting hair.

Unexpectedly, I was finally able to put a face to a story that I had heard about as a young teenager. Everyone had. The news stories, the tabloids, the jokes -- many which still elicit giggles today.

Looking and talking with this stylist, I would have never known she could be behind a story that would transfix America. She was soft-spoken, had a sweet demeanor and a motherly sense about her.

She didn't know who I was and only later in our appointment found out I was a reporter. Knowing what I did, she never put her guard up at all.

Of course, I wasn't there to ask questions and I didn't. It's been a few years and after staying in touch, Lorena finally said yes to doing an interview with me about her life now.

This year marks 20 years since she was found not guilty. A lot has changed.

Living in Gainesville, Va., she has built a family with a man whom she met in college. He's been her best friend and love of her life for the last 16 years. Together, they have an 8-year-old daughter, Olivia.

Lorena has also found a great group of friends doing one of her favorite things -- zumba. She's leaned on them for support of her life's mission of helping victims of domestic violence through her foundation Lorena's Red Wagon.

Lorena confidently says she's not a victim anymore and has decided to own the name that brought her so much notoriety. She hopes battered women learn from her story.

I'll report two stories this week. The first aired Monday at 6 p.m., showing how Lorena feels about that night in 1993 that changed her life forever. We also share some laughs about her dating life after the incident, while looking at why now she can say she's proud to be "Lorena Bobbitt."

Tuesday at 4 p.m. is a story that highlights what this hair stylist and real estate agent is really passionate about. We look at the work her charity has done to help shelters across Prince William County.

We also see how she lost 20 pounds in 10 weeks. Lorena says, mentally and physically, that at age 44, she's never felt better.

She's finally branching out and even delving into social media. After Googling herself for the first time recently, you'll be surprised to see what shocked her the most.

Follow me on Twitter at @ohmygoff for updates and other parts of our day together that didn't make it into the story.

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