Brook Bennett

From Self-Made to Exoneree Brook Bennett

Sometime you have to let go of the picture of what you thought your life would be, and learn to find joy in the story you are actually living. My story is about who you choose to bring into your life. The man I brought in to my life was a fraud. He had a history of lying and manipulating women, and a criminal background. I have heard about this type of man, but I could never have been the women to fall for such manipulation. I'm a strong, self-empowered women, and the wool doesn't get pulled over me easily. This is my true story about the man I became involved with who I thought was my boyfriend until reality hit on the 5 o'clock evening news, and social media going viral. I went from a being completely private and self-made, to a publicly humiliated woman overnight. January 31, 2017 - Started just like every other day. Having always lived a very average, clean and rising lifestyle. Non-traditional as it was, because I've worked for everything to make my life what it was; modest, but well-traveled and full of life and experiences. That day in January 2017 changed my life in an instant. Changed with a lifespan of "forever"! Today I argue for a "bully-free" world. Now an advocate for a more safe and compassionate Social media environment, drawing from my own experience of a media vortex. After becoming the focus of the Orange County, California Human trafficking criminal investigation, arrested and charged with 1 count each of Pimping, Pandering, Procuring, and conspiracy, the investigation into my personal life began. I found myself at 53 years old selectively targeted and in an instant joined the "culture of humiliation"; a cycle of media, news, personal harassment, brunt of many jokes, particularly online, and throughout my professional network in Dentistry; I have survived to reclaim my personal narrative. Following the devastating loss of my 20-year long relationship with my best friend and partner, the reality is; I met a well-polished man that was charming and said all the right things. We met, he became my new best friend, I trusted him, we enjoyed the same things, introduced him to my then 8-year-old daughter, I welcomed him in to my heart and our home. The decision to bring this man into my life and share my world would later have the most devastating consequences, sweeping me right into the eye of a legal and media maelstrom costing me my entire life savings, reputation, job loss. Humiliation has a personal price and shame is an industry. Our justice systems in deeply flawed. District Attorneys have way too much power. Humans lives are behind this turmoil. We need to return to compassion and empathy. There were days I never thought I would I would survive the shame. I am here today, and I survived. Sometime you have to choose between planting roots, or growing wings!