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'The Crowded Room' is based on a disturbing true story – Mashable
With episode 7, The Crowded Room finally reveals the big twist that’s crucial to the core of understanding the drama series and its brooding protagonist, Danny Sullivan. Danny (Tom Holland) was arrested for a 1979 shooting in New York City, and he’s been unfurling his mysterious backstory to a patient but probing listener, Rya Goodwin (Amanda Seyfried). But at long last, the pieces of his story begin to come together as it’s revealed that Sullivan suffers from Dissociative Identity Disorder.
In her first meeting with Sullivan, Goodwin — skeptical about how the police have characterized him — attempts to get him to recall details about two missing people, Ariana and Yitzhak, as well as about his childhood. He’s frustrated and overwhelmed by his ability to remember, and Goodwin is stymied by his lack of answers, but at the same time, there’s a tenderness conveyed, and her desire to help is made clear. As their conversations continue throughout the episodes, the audience becomes a party to a revelation that’s not only shocking but also based on real-life events.
Whether you’re caught up on the show, have been totally immersed, or are still thinking about diving in, we’ve got the facts about this stranger-than-fiction story.
The Crowded Room is inspired by the true story of Billy Milligan, the subject of a 1981 non-fiction book by Daniel Keyes called The Minds of Billy Milligan(opens in a new tab). (If Milligan’s name sounds familiar, it could be because Netflix also dropped a docu-series about him in 2021, Monsters Inside: The 24 Faces of Billy Milligan.)
In 1977, at the age of 22, Billy Milligan was arrested for the kidnapping, robbery, and rape of three women(opens in a new tab) on the campus of Ohio State University, all of which took place between October 14 and October 26. Milligan had been paroled earlier that year after already serving time for rape and robbery.
After Milligan’s face was selected out of a series of mug shots by one of the Ohio State victims, he was imprisoned, assigned a public defender, and given a series of psychiatric evaluations. It was during these sessions that Milligan told investigators that it was his other personalities who committed the crimes. Milligan said “Ragen,” a 23-year-old with a Slavic accent lacking in empathy, had robbed the women, and “Adalana,” a 19-year-old lesbian, had raped them. Overall, psychiatrists determined that Milligan had 10 personalities(opens in a new tab) and suffered from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)(opens in a new tab), formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder.
On December 4th, 1978, Milligan was the first American acquitted of a crime by pleading a DID defense.
DID is a diagnosis most commonly activated by trauma in early childhood, in which one disconnects from themselves or their environment to distance themselves from the experience(s) of trauma. In Milligan’s case, the stressor was believed to be the sexual and physical abuse he suffered at the hands of his stepfather, Chalmer Milligan. This abuse was confirmed by Billy’s other family members but denied by Chalmer, who died in 1988.
The criteria for a DID diagnosis(opens in a new tab) requires the existence of two or more personality states, or distinct identities with their own behavior, thought patterns, and memories, as well as gaps in memory about events and personal information. The symptoms of DID must also lead to distress and problems in daily functioning. The primary treatment(opens in a new tab) for DID patients is psychotherapy, as well as psychiatric medication such as antidepressants.
In the media — like Split, Fight Club, and The Crowded Room —those with DID have been depicted as violent, when, in fact, there is no known association (opens in a new tab)between the diagnosis and an increased instance of criminal or violent behavior. It’s more likely that those living with DID will harm themselves, as opposed to those around them.
Many, even those in the medical community(opens in a new tab), dismissed Milligan’s diagnosis, claiming that having multiple personalities was a normal aspect of being a human, and the defense was fraudulent. In 1994, multiple personality disorder was renamed in the DSM-IV psychiatric manual as Dissociative Identity Disorder, in order to reflect the role that fragmentation plays in protecting the patient from their trauma.
Rya Goodwin, played by Amanda Seyfried, is referred to as a “professor” throughout The Crowded Room. She’s asked to interrogate Sullivan, but she’s not a police officer. So, it’s more likely that Goodwin is a psychologist or psychiatrist. It’s not completely clear who her character is based on, although there are several possibilities.
While Milligan was initially diagnosed as schizophrenic, Dr. Dorothy Turner of Southwest Community Mental Health Center concluded that he suffered from DID. Milligan was also seen by Dr. Cornelia Wilbur(opens in a new tab), who claimed Milligan cycled through four personalities during their short meeting.
Wilbur was a psychiatrist best known for treating Shirley Ardell Mason, who developed 16 alternative personalities due to childhood sexual abuse, and whose case inspired both the book (1973) and the film Sybil (1976). The case of Mason has since been(opens in a new tab) debunked(opens in a new tab).
In 1986, Milligan escaped the psychiatric hospital where he was housed and began going by the alias of Christopher Carr. During that time, Milligan lived in Bellingham, Washington, with a roommate named Michael Pierce Madden(opens in a new tab), who went missing(opens in a new tab) in September of 1986.
Milligan was suspected of Madden’s murder, mainly after he sold Madden’s car. The missing man’s possessions were later found in Milligan’s apartment, and it was learned that he was cashing Madden’s disability checks. However, because there was no concrete evidence, and a body was never found, Milligan was never charged with the crime and Madden’s case still remains unsolved.
After he received a verdict of “not guilty by reason of insanity” for the Ohio State crimes, Milligan was committed to Athens Mental Health Center in Ohio. There, he worked with Dr. David Caul(opens in a new tab), an innovator in the treatment of what at the time was known as Multiple Personality Disorder. Caul sought to integrate Milligan’s personalities, and along the way, discovered 14 more, bringing the total amount to 24 personalities.
Keyes’s book, The Minds of Billy Milligan included interview research with Milligan and details Caul’s treatment of the man. However, in spite of being hospitalized, Milligan was still carrying on criminal activity, according to news outlets at the time. He was declared a security risk and in 1980, he relocated to Lima State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, which Milligan later described to Keyes as a “chamber of horrors.”(opens in a new tab)
In 1988, doctors declared his personalities integrated, and so he was no longer considered dangerous. By 1991, he was released from both mental and legal supervision. Milligan relocated to California, but then disappeared from the radar until 1996, when he gave a statement(opens in a new tab) to Astrea’s Web(opens in a new tab), a publication for “multiple personality resources & controversies.”
In it, he declared that he owned a company called Stormy Life Production, and he planned to make a short film. “My thing is educating people,” he said. He also claimed that he’d trained actors such as John Cusack, Christian Slater, and Leonardo DiCaprio to “enact MP as it really is and not as it is popularly seen.”
And while there doesn’t seem to be a public record of Milligan meeting with any of those actors, there’s at least a grain of truth in what he said. Over the past few decades, Milligan’s story has been a hot property in Hollywood. Leonardo DiCaprio referred to it as a “passion project”(opens in a new tab) of his, with the Guardian(opens in a new tab) reporting that “DiCaprio has been interested in taking the part since 1997.” James Cameron did try to adapt Keyes’s book into a project for the big screen starring John Cusack, with a resulting script called The Crowded Room(opens in a new tab). Other names attached include Brad Pitt, Sean Penn(opens in a new tab), Colin Farrell, and Johnny Depp, with Danny DeVito(opens in a new tab), Gus Van Sant, Joel Schumacher(opens in a new tab), and David Fincher a few of the high-profile names bandied about to further develop and/or direct.
If Milligan did make a short film, it’s never surfaced, and Milligan was not involved in Apple TV+’s show. According to Kathy(opens in a new tab), Milligan’s sister, he declared bankruptcy in California, then returned to Ohio, where he died of cancer in 2014 at the age of 59.
The Crowded Room is now streaming on Apple TV.(opens in a new tab)
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Chanel Dubofsky is a writer and editor. Her work on gender, sexuality, reproductive health, and pop culture can be found in New York Magazine, Lilith, Rewire, and others. She appears in the new documentary My So-Called Selfish Life(opens in a new tab), which is about the choice to be childfree. Follow her on Instagram at @cdubofsky(opens in a new tab).
The last Fight Week prior to the mega Fulton-Inoue/Spence-Crawford showdowns offers up some interesting action.
FRIDAY
Thompson Boxing sadly bids farewell after 23 years of promoting boxing in Southern California. Their final show is headlined by welterweight Louie Lopez (13-2-1, 4 KOs) against an opponent TBA. You can catch the action on YouTube and Facebook.
SATURDAY
ESPN presents former undisputed lightweight champion George “Ferocious” Kambosos Jr. (20-2, 10 KOs) against Maxi Hughes (26-5-2, 5 KOs) in a twelve round IBF world title eliminator from the FireLake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
UFC Fightpass has exciting junior middleweight KO artist Serhii “El Flaco” Bohachuk (22-1, 22 KOs) against former world title challenger Patrick Allotey (42-4, 32 KOs) at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California.
ProBox TV has a pro fight card from the Radisson Victoria Plaza in Montevideo, Uruguay, with middleweight Amilcar Vidal Jr (16-1, 12 KOs) rebounding from his first loss against Domicio Rondon (17-5, 11 KOs).
So we have a fighter from Australia against a UK fighter at a venue on Oklahoma. Looks like this one will go the distance!
My thoughts (re the fighters and venue) exactly but why do you think that this means a distance fight?
Am I ridiculous for thinking that Hughes has a chance in this one, Pete?? He’s been on a nice little run as of late against some decent guys including a former world champion, albeit a blown-up featherweight.
I was just thinking the same. Maxi is on a nice run; If you take away the win against a mentally and physically compromised Teo, has George done much?
Getting whitewashed against Haney twice and close wins against Bet and Selby doesn’t make a great resume. I think Maxi is a live dog.
Don’ think so-has five losses and not much KO power. Kambosos pretty average as well but should have enough to beat this guy.
Only time he got f’d up was vs someone who wore Reyes gloves. As long as Kambosos isn’t wearing those, Hughes may not be psyched out. He like kept the Reyes gloves and showed them off about how much he hated the padding and feel to them. It was in a YouTube video.
I think he does have a chance. I always felt the stars aligned perfect for Kambosos when he fought Lopez. Lopez was overconfident and fought a fight that gave Kambosos a chance. Plus he was better at taking Lopez’s power then we thought which I also think caught Lopez off guard. Other then that, like Streetgang said…what else has he really done that separates him from Hughes? I maybe in the minority but I thought Selby beat him.
So yes I think Hughes could outpoint him. I am not sure if that is my pick but it is a reasonable outcome. Just to clarify when I earlier said it would go the distance I was referring to their KO % …that comment had nothing to do with the venue which I do not think will be relevant as to whether it goes the distance or not.
I remember the Selby fight and thinking it was close but Lee may have nicked it.
I will be pulling for Maxi, George has become a bit unbearable for me.
I think I might just take this week off and just save the excitement for next weekend
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The IBF’s 38th Annual Convention will kick off this weekend at The Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park, in Chicago, Illinois from May 28 – June 1, 2023. After 38 years, the organization will be returning to the Midwest to celebrate the IBF’s 40th year. The IBF celebrated its 2nd Annual Convention in Dearborn, Michigan in 1985 and a return to the region is long overdue. “We are excited for this milestone event and are looking forward to gathering with the boxing community in Chicago and the Midwest,” said IBF President Daryl Peoples.
During the convention the IBF hosts several events and seminars. Notably, the IBF also presents annual awards at each convention, and proudly announces its top award recipients for 2022 to be presented at the Awards Banquet closing the organization’s convention festivities on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. The IBF is proud to announce some of it’s top awards for 2022 in anticipation of the upcoming convention.
Jersey Joe Walcott Award
The Jersey Joe Walcott Award, the organization’s highest honor, will go to Naoya Inoue. In spectacular fashion, Inoue unified the Bantamweight division with a second-round knockout win over Nonito Donaire. Naoya won the IBF title in 2019 and defended six times.
Female Fighter of the Year
Receiving the IBF Female Fighter of the Year Award is Chantelle Cameron who unified the Female Jr. Welterweight division. Cameron put on an exciting performance when she beat Undisputed Welterweight Champion Jessica McCaskill by unanimous decision and became the Undisputed Champion in the division.
Fight of the Year
IBF– Sivenathi Nontshinga vs. Hector Flores
Female – Katie Taylor vs. Amada Serrano
Intercontinental – Mark Heffron vs. Lennox Clarke
USBA – Robeisy Ramirez vs. Abraham Nova
Jessica McCaskill and Murodjon Akhmadaliev are recieving Championship Rings for 3 successful title defenses.
“We proudly celebrate the notable achievements and remarkable careers of our champions, and the boxers that participated in IBF title fights. These are very well-deserved distinctions as all these fighters have worked incredibly hard to attain these accomplishments. We look forward to celebrating them,” noted Daryl Peoples.
Big weekend coming up with four of the top welterweights not named Terence Crawford or Errol Spence seeing action.
FRIDAY
DAZN kicks things off with unbeaten WBO #3, WBA #11, WBC #12 super middleweight Diego Pacheco (18-0, 15 KOs) will take on Manuel Gallegos (19-1-1, 16 KOs) from the Cintermex in Monterrey, NL, Mexico. Pacheco is a 20:1 favorite.
SATURDAY
DAZN is back for the second consecutive night with a mouth-watering clash between unbeaten WBA regular welterweight champion Eimantas Stanionis (14-0, 9 KOs) and WBA #1 Vergil Ortiz Jr. (19-0, 19 KOs) at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. Ortiz is a 4:1 favorite to dethrone Stanionis.
Showtime delivers undefeated IBF interim welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis (30-0, 27 KOs) defending against IBF top-rated Roiman Villa (26-1, 24 KOs) from the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. Ennis is a 13:1 favorite.
ESPN+ offers up exciting former world champion and current WBC #2 super bantamweight Luis Nery (34-1, 26 KOs) against Froilan Saludar (33-6-1, 23 KOs) from the fairground in Metepec, Mexico (90 minutes west of Mexico City). Nery is a 12:1 favorite.
Stanionis vs Ortiz is a cracking matchup. I wonder if Virgil’s momentum will be disrupted by illness. I guess we’ll see on Saturday.
Not anymore because Ortiz pulled out with his fake disease of not being able to make weight again. He did this last minute again to the Lithuanian. He should be sued and banned from the sport. Scumbag!
One of these days Boots is gonna walk all over Crawford and Spence. There’s starting to be a lot of buzz on how good Boots is, but I think he’s even better than advertised. Like Spence and Crawford, he boxes on a different level and has an extremely high boxing IQ as they say. It’s not just his speed, power, experience, and skills; he’s a thinking man and knows exactly what he’s doing. I just hope he doesn’t continue to be avoided.
The thing with boots is he seems to leave himself open for shots. Hopefully he corrects that.
Kris…I have to agree with you about Boots….Boots is “special”…..of course time could change that…but watching his fight against Karen Chukhadzhian…studying that fight …I saw something special…and Karen is as tough fighter and Karen maybe a future world champion..very good skills…guys In my opinion Boots is really good…on that level of “special”….
Best of luck to both stanionis and Ortiz. I like both so I’ll be happy for the winner and bummed out for the loser.
SATURDAY
Showtime delivers undefeated IBF interim welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis (30-0, 27 KOs) defending against IBF top-rated Roiman Villa (26-1, 24 KOs).
– Not shown on the FightNews “Upcoming TV Fights”.
ESPN+ offers up exciting former world champion and current WBC #2 super bantamweight Luis Nery (34-1, 26 KOs) against Froilan Saludar (33-6-1, 23 KOs) from the fairground in Metepec, Mexico (90 minutes west of Mexico City). Nery is a 12:1 favorite.
– Same as above.
– I see FightNews added these bouts to their schedule…..
I’ll be watching the Ennis vs Villa fight as I do not have DAZN, but subscribe to SHO. Can’t go wrong either one, two solid fights. Boots vs. Ortiz, make it happen powerbrokers after they both come out victorious this weekend.
I think Stanionis – Ortiz has the potential to be a fight of the year candidate. That match has seemed cursed with all the postponements, but barring a blowout either way (which I don’t see happening but is possible), I don’t know how those two get together without it being a great fight.
Sooner or later one of the top guys at welterweight will have to face Ennis, now, if Ortiz defeat Stanionis many will be asking for Ortiz vs Ennis, exceopt Oscar DE La Hoya, no way that will happen.If not the Crawford vs Spence winner, but rather the winner of Thurman vs Ugas could be excellent
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