S3E10: Stars Fell on Alabama | Robert Bentley and Dianne Bentley & America’s Surprise Divorce Capital

Stacie’s had a lot of requests to cover the dirtbaggery that was former Alabama Governor Robert Bentley and the affair that tanked his administration. It turns out it was much more than an extramarital dalliance; it was symbolic of the deep corruption at the heart of Alabama’s government just a few short years ago.

Then, Alicia has a delightful story about a really surprising historical fact about Alabama. We’re pretty sure you’ll be surprised, too.

Stacie’s Receipts

New York Times overview of the whole sorry mess:
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/17/us/alabama-robert-bentley-michael-hubbard-roy-moore.html

Archive of local reporting of Dianne Bentley’s surprise divorce filing:
https://web.archive.org/web/20150831194444/http://www.abc3340.com/story/29908977/governor-robert-bentleys-wife-files-for-divorce

Both parties sought to have the records of the divorce sealed in 2015:
https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/politics/southunionstreet/2015/08/31/judge-orders-bentley-divorce-records-sealed/71455028/

The recording that ended it all:
https://www.al.com/news/2016/03/hear_recording_that_helped_put.html#incart_big-photo

Yellowhammer News has that terrific description of how the recordings were made:
https://yellowhammernews.com/complete-bentley-mason-affair-audio-transcripts/

Wikipedia on former Speaker Mike Hubbard:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Hubbard_(politician)

Wikipedia on Robert Bentley:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_J._Bentley

Reporting based on a deposition in the wrongful termination suit Bentley is defending himself against:
https://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/news/local/alabama/2018/08/17/former-alabama-governor-robert-luv-guv-bentley-talks-life-love-and-his-downfall-rebekah-mason/1017518002/

Happily, Dianne Bentley is doing well these days:
https://www.al.com/news/2016/05/dianne_bentley_former_alabama.html

Alicia’s Receipts

Steve Flowers of the Andalusia Star-News has the rundown:
https://www.andalusiastarnews.com/2013/11/20/we-were-once-divorce-capital/

1970 reporting from the New York Times on the big mess caused by the quickie divorce schemes:
https://www.nytimes.com/1970/08/23/archives/alabama-indictments-cast-doubt-on-legality-of-quickie-divorces-by.html

AL.com has more on the famous people who headed to Alabama to get un-hitched:
https://www.al.com/living/2013/03/when_alabama_flourished_as_div.html

“Onassis divorce case in Alabama recalled.” Oops.
https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1891&dat=19750316&id=jqsfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=o9YEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5819,2542289

Some dirt on Peyton Place and its author, Grace Metalious:
http://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/peyton-place-town-its-scandals-and-the-woman-who-told-the-world/