Mitchell Johnson’s mother seems to be confusing herself with his girlfriend, Jessica Bratich.
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The happy couple in this picture are Australian cricketer Mitchell Johnson and his girlfriend, karate champion Jessica Bratich. Not pictured, is Mitchell's mother. And evidently, she would like to be in this photo, sandwiched riiiight in the middle of her son and his girlfriend. In an interview with the Herald Sun that she will no doubt come to regret immediately, Vikki Harber says her son has been 'stolen' from her by Jessica and slams Cricket Australia for flying over 'bitchy' girlfriends more interested in self-promotion than supporting their partners. Yikes…….
The Herald Sun reports…..
On
the eve of the Ashes series in England, Vikki Harber also slammed
Cricket Australia for turning its back on parents in favour of flying
over "bitchy" girlfriends more interested in self-promotion than
supporting their partners.
Ms Harber, 45, told the Herald Sun her once close relationship with her son had deteriorated since he started going out with Ms Bratich. "I get a text on Mother's Day and a text on my birthday," she said..
"The last time I actually spoke to him was when the beach cricket
was here (and) Dennis Lillee told him he had to ring his mother, so
Mitchell rang me that day. "It has been like this since Jess came on the scene. "Up until he met Jessica we were very close . . . but he hasn't spent a night under my roof since he met Jessica."
Ms Harber said Cricket Australia had never offered her the opportunity to see her son play outside Brisbane.
"For
the wives and the children I think it is great that they support them
and send the over there, but who are these girlfriends? They are just
girlfriends," Ms Harber said from Coolangatta.
"Mitch met
Jess and since then she has flown off to South Africa, to England and
the Bahamas. She gets all these trips, she gets flown there,
accommodation, food and all of that." Cricket sources said players decide who to invite on tour.
Johnson's manager Sam Halvosen said the gun bowler was aware of his mother's comments but did not want to discuss them.
I bet he didn't! This story is a cracker because it covers so many things. Namely mother-in-laws and the relationships between mothers and sons. My own mother-in-law has always been respectful and mindful of which lines to cross and has never crossed them. We get along famously. But I've dated guys in the past whose mothers are less mothers more….defacto partners. In their own eyes anyway.
It's quite heart-breaking this story – once you stop laughing or cringing behind your hands. That, and willing the poor Mum to stem her verbal flow of bitter emotion TO A JOURNALIST when it's clearly not going to improve her relationship with her son or her possible future daughter-in-law.
Hard to imagine the wedding speech. "Oh, remember that time when I called Jess a bitch in the newspaper! Hahaha! They were good times, weren' they?"
Playing Dr Phil for just a moment, I've noticed the whole mother-confusing-her-son-with-a-husband syndrome is more prevalent when the mum is single (or in an unhappy relationship). We all like to think that our sons are The Perfect Man – created in our image. And perhaps this is even more true when you're single…..
Funnily enough, just the other day, Luca, who is 11, asked me when I thought he should leave home. I said "45". And then I tried not to cry at the though that one day? He will love another woman more than me……
EARLIER….
- FROCKWATCH: Jess Bratich in THAT dress and THOSE undies + more cricket WAGS
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When your partner’s father is a bad influence….
I think that she could have spoken to him personal about this, not a national paper!
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i think you’re all very inconsiderate of MJ’s MIL, she raised him for over 20 yrs and created him, and all she gets is a text 2 times a yr, disgraceful. GF’s need to look outside their self and consider this
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Is that really his girlfriend’s problem?
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There is no excuse for this, the mother is so wrong for speaking out in this way.
She has just given him the perfect excuse to distance himself even more …
It’s so hard being a single parent with one child. Usually you devote yourself & your life to ensuring they get a great life … and it looks like she has done a great job, surely she has been a big part of Mitchell’s success, I can understand how she would be feeling bitter.
No excuse tho, in a perfect world she should be happy that her son is happy & get on with her own life – something that must be hard for her to do after she has probably put her life on hold for 20+ years to help her son to achieve his dreams.
Parenting is often such a thankless job – that’s why it so important to find a balance between their life and your own life.
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There is a article written by Lisa Pryor, (Sydney Morning Herald, news review, page 7) on this matter, worth reading, love to all ooxx
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I feel like some Mums just don’t know how to cut the umbilical cord and let their son start a life of their own. You marry you partner not your mother.
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Simone you are right,love ooxx
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Having posted on this subject early on I have only just got to reading the remainder of the comments.
Woolywally I can see how you’re having a good relationship with your MIL can make it hard for you to understand what others are going through. The unfortunate reality with all types of relationships is that some people are just not capable of a loving and caring relationship. Having a MIL & SIL from hell I can totally relate to the majority of the comments. Right from the start of the relationship both the MIL & SIL would make bitchy comments about me, roll their eyes whenever I said anything, told aquaintences that “everyone in the family hated me” and the piece de resistance was talking about how my husband could do much better than me – on our wedding day – while getting there make up done by a dear friend of mine – and I was paying for it!! I made every effort to get to know my in laws and to include them in our life but nothing was ever good enough.
So while I appreciate some of the comments that woolywally made, I would ask her to please be mindful that not everyones life is sweetness & roses and no matter how much you try to offer a piece of your heart to people it does not mean that they are open to accepting it.
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Just read ALL of the comments, the other day I jsut read Mia’s part, and posted.
Good on you wollywally xo Stick around, it’s great to hear how people from other cultural backgorunds view things.
I was talking about sons and mothers with my son and our counsellor this morning. Didn’t even think of this case (my own is hard enough, thank you).
She said that she sees a lot of mums who are struggling to let their sons grow up, and almost as many sons who struggle with their relationships with partners, because they don’t know how to be in an adult relationship, as the apron strings were never cut.
I have a friend whose partner is like that.
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I can trump you all – my MIL once asked to be paid to babysit! She had only ever done it once or twice before as she can be very negative, so we thought we would do the right thing and ask her if she was free. At the end of the night she told us her hourly rate! Never again!
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Meredith@thinkthinks – that’s HILARIOUS
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after watching ACA, i can’t help but wonder – did she really think going on tv and calling her son’s fiance a gold digging bitch was going to help? seriously?
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Lu I did see it – she has done herself such a disservice. She has come out of it looking like a complete eedjit.
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Is anyone else envisioning a Telstra ad, with Dennis Lillee handing Johnson a phone saying “Call your mum”? At least the poor guy could get some sponsorship dollars out of it.
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Did anyone watch her on ACA last night ? It went from bad to worse. This poor woman clearly needs a Psychiatrist. On his Australian Cricketers salary though he could have at least paid for his mum to have some dental implants.
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Both of my brothers treated my mum like this BEFORE they had partners. They NEVER ring her,unless i’ve posted a happy birthday on Facebook! Some guys just don’t do the whole communication thing…it doesn’t mean they don’t love her anymore. My mother sucked it up & moved on.
You cannot, as a parent, be responsible for the decisions (no matter how stupid they may seem to us)that our kids make. We birth them, nurture them, grow them up the best we know how & then have to let them go to make their own way.
Mitchell’s mum is soooooo going to regret taking this course instead of picking up the phone to her son. Shocker.
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You know, I don’t know much about relationships with a spouse’s mother, but this guys mother made herself sound like the bitchy one.
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This is sad. She wants desperately to produce a response from her son.
All she needs to know is that he still loves her.
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I think it must be hard to be a MIL. My mum and I were discussing it recently about how it’s different for her to MIL to my husband compared to my brother’s wife.
She takes care to ensure she doesn’t overstep or try to take her mothers place. Even though its generally agreed upon that SIL’s mother is a bloody idiot (much like Mitchell’s mum seems to be).
Definitely a lesson in how not to handle your private relationships.
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I don’t agree with the mother going to the media about this – she’s caused far more problems by her behaviour…but what if half of what she says is true & the girlfriend is just a gold digger What do you do….it must be difficult to bite your tongue and say nothing. I’m glad I only have daughters so don’t have to cope with this particular issue:) Seems many mothers get a bit too tied up with their son’s lives & the girlfriends & wives suffer because of it.
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Errrrrrrrr…………… right. My son (who technically lives at home) sees me bugger-all since he got a serious girlfriend. I get a message for Mother’s Day, and my birthday. And I am ok with that.
It’s called growing up, and it’s what they are supposed to do. Get over yourself, and stop bitching to journalists, because you are doing your relationship with your son (son, NOT husband) major harm.
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Sally, when dealing with any in-law, it is your husband who is responsible for stepping in when in-laws get rude. If my sister said anything like that to my then fiance, I would tell her in no uncertain terms where my loyalty lies – with my life partner! He should have had a talk with her and asked her to apologise.
I never had too many problems with my BIL, but on occasions he WAS rude and each time I left it to DH to have a chat with him. After all, his main priority should be you and children, if any.
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This is hilariously embarrassing for Mitchell’s mum and for Jessica – one I’m sure will cost thousands at her therapist… but to be honest, I have always had more trouble with my husband’s sisters than with his mum. Sisters-in-law can be incredibly, heartbreakingly, gut-wrenchingly cruel… and they can make snippy, snide comments out of earshot. My husband’s sister told me that she ‘didn’t want me in her fucking family’ on the night we were engaged. Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with evil sisters-in-law?
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@Mia – AGREE emphatically with EVERYTHING you said in your post.
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Poor Mitchell. It would be hard enough having a strained relationship with your mother, without it being broadcast all over the country.
I had my own MIL dramas after the birth of our first child. It took years to repair the damage and neither one of us went to the media with our disagreement.
I can’t imagine how mortified both Mitchell and Jessica are, hopefully they have other family and friends that are supporting them.
Very, very classy of them both not to comment publicly.
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Mia, I’m with you. A discussion and even a debate is healthy, but to resort to insults and attacks when you dont agree with someone is not on and not why we come here.
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Very nice wollywally, very nice indeed!
I’m very grateful to have an awesome mother in law myself. She spent the first half of this week with all her grandchildren in a three night camp over at her place.
My boys had a fantastic time whilst I enjoyed some freedom!! She rocks.
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Its a horrible situation and not the way to solve the issues at hand. I have been in a much worse situation with my in laws due to my husbands mum being jealous. It is 6 years on and her issues with me and my husband have caused so many relationship break downs in the family. It didn’t do what she intended, to break us up, all it did was divide her and him more.
As a mother it is our role to raise our children into fine adults so that they can go out into the world and have their own individual life. Yes it would be great to remain close in a respectful adult way, as an equal.
This man is doing only what she once hoped for for him, succeeding. If she has issues with how close they are now it is up to her to talk to him about it, like an adult.
I find no humor in this situation, what class of person would discuss their problems like this and cause such hurt for her son and daughter in law. It is hurtful when you are not accepted by your in laws and with it being so public.
I feel sad for all involved as I know from experience that this will go deeper and further. It wih effect this mothers relationship with her son and inlaws and one day grandchildren.
My advice to her would be say sorry as many times as you have too and say nothing further. Fix this now as much as you can.
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Analyse This one girls….and fellas
My MIL still praises my husband’s ex wife to me, telling just how talented she is…and also makes little quips about how well she looks etc.
Now, my husband’s first wife left him after looking for greener and richer pastures and has now remarried. My MIL loves her son deeply, and knows her ex DIL hurt her son. But when she learned we were going out together, she tried to rally the ex wife’s parents to start lobbying to get them back together again…to preserve the dignity of the family. UGH!
The last time she started gabbing on about the ex, I just said it was time to let go now…and remember what she originally did to her golden haired boy.
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Thanks for your comment Mia, the vibe of the comments on this blog has gone sour in recent times – I always enjoyed the respectful exchange of opinions here but its gotten quite immature and nasty lately!
And the MIL? I can’t imagine what went through her head that to talk to the media about her son’s girlfriend would be a good idea. I saw a promo today that she’s also on ACA tonight just to fuel it a little more
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She’s not unusual, just has a mouth bigger than her brain. What an enormous risk – in fact I don’t think it’s a risk because the dark deed has been done and recovery is unlikely -and the risk is that she’ll never be able to be as close as she’d like with what undoubtedly will be just BEAUTIFUL brunette grandchildren. You bring your loved-to-bits kids up then have to give them away – payback is the next forty years – you get love back or, like many woman I meet, nothing.
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By the way, BlogerLeah, I SO agree with your comments about the 3 factors impacting on MIL / DIL relations. Really struck a chord with me, and I can take responsibility for a couple of those myself… I’m so glad I worked on my relationship with my MIL but still maintained appropriate boundaries for my own sanity.
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Hmmm. I think I shall refrain from commenting.If I want aggro, I only have to go into the loungeroom……
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Very classy of him to refuse to comment. I can’t imagine how hard she must be to wrangle in private if this is what she is willing to do in public.
And wollywally? I love reading your comments – the way you spell gives me an idea of how you speak. I bet you have one of those lovely, musical voices.
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Wollywally good on you, I think a little Italian family loving is what a lot of us need right now…..red wine anyone ?
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Let’s cut wollywally a little slack here. She has already explained that English is not her first language. How would it be for us to have to comment in Russian, Mandarin or even Italian?
Or German, although Cerry would be OK with that. I’d be..
Das is nicht gut! Sie sind nicht klüger. Du bist ein dumkopf!
I reckon wollywally is doing just great.
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Ugh, scary mother. Sounds like she’s jealous she’s not the one going on the road.
It reminds me of the dose of unhealthy mother and son relationship in “North and South” by Elizabeth Gaskell.
I have three brothers and thank god my mother has never exhibited any of these tendencies in the slightest.
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MIss Manly in the last few days, I notice that you do not seems happy, any troble ? stress? PMT? full moon? even tough today is raining, and if you do really live in Manly, get an umbrella ,put on your gumboot, and go for a walk in the beach, the smells of the ocean, and the noise of the vawes, are wonderfull, and calm the mind and recharge the spirit, and after that good hot chocolate, wish I can be with you to enjoy all of this, love ooxx
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I think there is a lot of truth in what you are saying Wollywally and it can’t have been easy moving to a new country.
Unfortunately some MIL’s are difficult and I for one came across this when I first started dating my husband. Somehow I was to blame for every decision he had ever made. It was my fault he moved to the city even though he did this 5 years before meeting me. I was accused of being a snob because I wanted my bridal registry at DJ’s..The list goes on and on.
Not long after we were married my MIL accused me of saying something I hadn’t and that’s when I put my foot down and told my husband to sort it out. That was 9 years ago and we have a good relationship now, it’s not perfect and we are very different people but we try.
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Wow, she has clearly lost the plot. I mean sure, it is not uncommon for mothers to have this problem with their sons, but to take it further..to take it out into the public? Thats a whole other level.
It will most likely create MORE resistance between the 3 of them than there was before.
Oops. I bet she’ll regret this.
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Miss Manly, as I miself been trough all the you describe above ( two mastitis), I can tell you, that what we need is womens with experience in the matter, not necessary our mothers, if that happen is a bonus, I did not have my mother this do to with logistic,(Italy is not around the corner), I did relay on my MIL (she had 4 kids), and wonderfull wonderfull local nurse, and I suvived, as I say before, if we like to have armonious relationship, we do have to make an effort, family relationship can be hard job sometimes I can tell you because I married into a completely different culture ,and family menbers do make mistakes and do hurt us, I personally forgive, and I tray to give the olive brunch, because in the end I am the one benefitting the most,holding grudges is bad for ones health, flexibily of caracter in life give pace and happines, while
having inflexible one the opposite, and by the way in lots of cultures to keep in touch dayly with by phone or other is normal, I personally would not care if my MIL did this, she would be welcome, love to all ooxx
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I’ve read all the comments and agree with most – that it’s incredibly embarrasing for all involved, not to mention inappropriate on behalf of the mother.
I may have missed it, but nobody seems to have mentioned that they are actually engaged – so for Mitchell’s mother to be slamming Jess as ‘just a girlfriend’ takes on even more significance….she’s failing to acknowledge the status of their relationship.
I think she needs to grow up and get over it. I have to take her comments about the text on her birthday with a grain of salt because of how she has behaved by speaking with a journalist, and how ridiculous all of the rest of her comments are!
He must be absolutely mortified, and Jessica must be furious!
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Unless Jessica is has bound and gagged Mitchell and is threatening his life with a karate chop it is Mitchell Mum should have an issue with….
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Charlie, you say yourself, you just do not love your MIL, if you did, you wouldn’t have the problems you have, love to you ooxx
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Lisa T that poem is beatifull, how about this
clinging narrow the heart,
giving broadens it,
clinging paralyse the heart,
giving liberates it,
clinging dakenes the heart,
giving brightens it.
love to all ooxx
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Wollywally, are you trying to say that we are not supposed to choose our own mum over MIL? Well, I love my mum and don’t love MIL. She is my husband’s mother and all that, but to love a strange old woman you really need to have grown with her. I have not. I have tender memories of my mother, memories of her young and beautiful, memories of cuddling up to her etc etc. Sorry, but she is my flesh and blood and MIL is a stranger who came attached to my husband.
I can totally relate to the story. My MIL told me many a times that I stole her son, albeit worded differently, such as “I used to have a close and loving relationship with my boy, and now I have lost it”. “Close and loving” to her was telephone calls 5 times a day and showing up unannounced whenever she wanted and demanding a loving welcome. Due to such unrealistic demands, the relationship is now cold and distant between us, as my pleas to give us space fell on deaf ears, only the complete breakdown of the relationship stopped that emotional blackmail.
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My mother in law wonders why she doesn’t get visits or asked to babysit as much as she would like?
Answer:
When we visit she makes comments “Won’t it be wonderful when (our two year old) is toilet trained?”
“She doesn’t know her numbers/colours etc very well” (She is, I repeat, 2!!!)
When babysitting in our home so baby can go to sleep in own bed:
“This house is a disgrace”
Once she called every night for a week which to me is overstepping the mark. Phone ended up “accidentally” off the hook.
So yes, this Vikki has publicly embarrassed herself and should have known better!
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I must be daughter in law from hell!, have you tried to knock on the door instead, and go for a unannounced visit? and out of curiosity was she willing to help you with the baby? I could be wrong, I have this gut feeling, that she feel you choose your mom over her, and her help was not good enough, anyway good luck with this,love ooxx
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Sounds like a big dose of sour grapes to me. Why SHOULD Cricket Australia pick up the tab, for family members to travel with the players? I’m sure Mitchell Johnson is very happy, he’s on the other side of the world. What a Beeaatch!….PS Mitch, keep your phone turned off…..
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I’ve never been one of those women that had to have a son. I wanted to be a mum and was happy with a healthy child. But I know some women who kept going until they had a son – or stopped and are disappointed about not having a son. I see mums who play obvious favourites with their sons over their daughters and I just dont get it.
Am I weird?
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After reading the comments and thinking about this a little more, I think my Mum could have these MIL tendancies (watch out for her on ACA!)
My brother had been single for a long time and Mum did a lot for him, not because he asked, because she wanted to “help”. Now he’s six months into a relationship and she has only just stopped referring to his lovely girlfriend as “that girl”. As in P and that girl are coming for lunch…
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