“Who Was The Boss?“: How Mary Kay Letourneau’s Shocking Interview Inspired ‘May December’s Ending

In 1997, teacher Mary Kay Letourneau raped her 12-year-old student Vili Fualaau. You probably know the infamous case, and now it’s back in the press again thanks to Netflix’s May December, which hit the streaming service this past Friday (December 1). And with the renewed interest in the case, so too renewed interest in interviews around the case — including one with 7 News Australia that inspired a key moment towards the end of the movie.

In May December, paralleling the Letourneau case, Julianne Moore plays Gracie, an adult who rapes a child named Joe Yoo (Charles Melton), has his baby, and later marries him. We catch up with them later in life as the last of their children are heading off to college. Meanwhile, an actress played by Natalie Portman is planning an indie movie about their lives, bringing simmering tensions to the forefront.

In a pivotal scene towards the end of the film, Joe finally confronts Gracie about why they never talk about what happened, to which Gracie responds, “Who was the boss? Who was in charge?”

This language comes directly from the resurfaced Australian interview from 2018 with Letourneau, Fualaau, and interviewer Matt Doran. In the clip, when Doran pushes Letourneau for answers about how this all happened, she turns to Fulaau and starts pummeling him with the phrase “Who was the boss? Who was the boss back then?” over and over again. Mind you, as Doran reminds her, Fulaau was 12 years old. He was not “the boss” as she says. She raped a child.

The clip, like the scene in the movie, is extraordinarily disturbing, so a severe trigger warning should stand if you decide to watch it, below. The whole interview lasts about half an hour and is a horrific watch. Like in May December, even as time passes, the horrors of what happened remain.

If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.