David Birney Slams Ex-Wife Meredith Baxter's Abuse "Fairy Tale" - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

catlover79 · 03-06-2011, 04:07 AM

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b229..._meredith.html

David Birney thinks ex-wife Meredith Baxter's new memoir belongs in the fiction section.

Claims that he abused her during their 15-year marriage are "an appalling abuse of the truth," Birney said in a statement to People, in which he called her autobiography, Untied, "a kind of fairy tale."

In fact, Birney alleges, it was Baxter who had the issues.

The Family Ties star "conducted a relentless and brutal assault" against him for eight years in order to "destroy" their joint custody arrangement and win sole custody of their three sons, Birney says.

"During that time she arrived in court repeatedly with various lawyers and several therapists, 'recovered memories,' accusations of abuse—a common charge in custody disputes—and tales of our life together that bore little resemblance to truth – a mean spirited process that battered us all, especially the children," he alleges. "The court denied her suit on every occasion.

"This current recycled version of our family story is no more credible now than it was then."

Birney says he actually finds it "immensely sad and truly absurd" that, in Baxter's entire book, she is "unable to reclaim a single instance of joy or pleasure" from their union.

"Nothing from our first meeting to divorce. Nothing, in sixteen years. Really?"

The actress, who came out as a lesbian in 2009, said Birney chose her as a partner decades ago because he wanted "someone who was mousy and quiet and retiring, and that's what I was."

"I had to look, if I did not want to be a victim—and I'd been committed to being a victim for a long time because it felt really warm and comfortable and familiar—but it was a disastrous position to be in."

catlover79 · 03-06-2011, 04:09 AM

Whoever wrote this article made a big mistake - when they were together, the Birneys had two daughters and a son - not THREE sons!! Those children were Kate (born 1974) and twins Peter and Mollie (born 1984). Proofread, people!!!

Family Ties Forever! · 03-06-2011, 04:21 PM

David Birney is using words such as "abuse, assault and battered". I find that ironic. Whether he was abusive or not, I'm not sure. I can't imagine he would admit the abuse. Most abusers deny accusations of abuse. It's possible David Birney may have abused Meredith. I watched Meredith on Oprah. I'm not a fan of Oprah, but tuned in to see what Meredith had to say. It was nice to see Michael Gross there.

David and Meredith even disagree on how long they were married. She says fifteen years and he says sixteen years.

catlover79 · 03-06-2011, 04:30 PM

Well, we the public don't know for sure what happened, but my gut instincts tell me that Meredith is telling the truth (and one of the daughters they share backed her up on Oprah). I always thought David Birney was a creepy and sinister looking man, and a bit of a phony. To me, there always seemed to be something a little off about him. Then again, that's just my take.

I think the duration of the marriage was legally, 16 years - 1974-1990. Meredith mentions in her book that the separation began at the end of 1989 and that the divorce was final about 8 months later. Maybe she just considered it over in 1989. Who knows?

Jenny, have you read the book yet? There are definitely a lot of interesting stories that Meredith shares. It also confirms that Michael Gross is a WONDERFUL man, on-screen and off. We could all use a friend like him.

Family Ties Forever! · 03-06-2011, 08:18 PM

No, I haven't read it yet. I should look into getting it though.

biffbronson · 03-06-2011, 08:53 PM

David Birney "creepy and sinister looking?" I don't know about that... He does have kind of an ethnic look, but regardless, can you really tell a person's true nature just from outward appearance? What -- if he looked like Cary Grant, would that make him a better man in this mess?

The truth in this lies somewhere in between. Verbal abuse is something that goes on in many relationships, but the degree of that is something that neither side likely can ever agree on.

Personally, in recent years I think Meredith has come off as somewhat flaky. Remember that she's switched from hetero to homosexual so relatively late in life -- did Birney's abusive behavior have anything to do with that, or was her sexuality changing regardless of the influence of "bad" men? I mean it seems rare for a person to change as an adult -- maybe notsomuch in Hollywood though.

It's natural for a woman to take Meredith's side in this, but while I respect your honesty in saying Birney looks sort of creepy, I know that you in your own life you've met people who hardly look like Pierce Brosnan or Robert Redford, yet were fine men in every important way...! Oh well, I suppose this is why with some exceptions the bald and overweight guys are cast as the villains in so many shows.

catlover79 · 03-06-2011, 09:20 PM

It's nothing to do with David Birney's ethnicity or coloring that make him seem creepy to me. Just something about the looks in his eyes and just this aura that make him seem sinister to me. Trust me, I've known blond, WASP-type men who gave off that same aura. Plus, again, it's just me. I don't know either party here and am unlikely to ever meet them, so I could be all wrong.

catlover79 · 03-06-2011, 09:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Family Ties Forever!

No, I haven't read it yet. I should look into getting it though.

Let me know what you think after you finish reading it, Jenny - I'd love to hear your thoughts.

biffbronson · 03-06-2011, 09:26 PM

Sorry, I didn't mean to say that his looking ethnic caused you to think he looked creepy. I just was saying that looking at him, I think "ethnic" instead of sinister or otherwise.

Maybe it would help to think of him when he was younger. It's interesting to see how a person's looks change. For me, I wasn't a fan of how Joanne Linville looked when I first saw her work and was creeped out somewhat. But the more I saw from different eras, the more I appreciated her beauty.

catlover79 · 03-06-2011, 09:54 PM

I've seen some of his earlier work on YouTube, etc. and even as a younger man I found he had that same aura. I can't describe it, really.

catlover79 · 03-28-2011, 04:31 AM

Before this, the only thing I remember Meredith saying about her former marriage to David is that they are two people who should never, ever have gotten married. That was several years ago, and she didn't elaborate. Does anyone else remember this?

03-06-2011, 04:07 AM	#1
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	David Birney Slams Ex-Wife Meredith Baxter's Abuse "Fairy Tale" http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b229..._meredith.html David Birney thinks ex-wife Meredith Baxter's new memoir belongs in the fiction section. Claims that he abused her during their 15-year marriage are "an appalling abuse of the truth," Birney said in a statement to People, in which he called her autobiography, Untied, "a kind of fairy tale." In fact, Birney alleges, it was Baxter who had the issues. The Family Ties star "conducted a relentless and brutal assault" against him for eight years in order to "destroy" their joint custody arrangement and win sole custody of their three sons, Birney says. "During that time she arrived in court repeatedly with various lawyers and several therapists, 'recovered memories,' accusations of abuse—a common charge in custody disputes—and tales of our life together that bore little resemblance to truth – a mean spirited process that battered us all, especially the children," he alleges. "The court denied her suit on every occasion. "This current recycled version of our family story is no more credible now than it was then." Birney says he actually finds it "immensely sad and truly absurd" that, in Baxter's entire book, she is "unable to reclaim a single instance of joy or pleasure" from their union. "Nothing from our first meeting to divorce. Nothing, in sixteen years. Really?" The actress, who came out as a lesbian in 2009, said Birney chose her as a partner decades ago because he wanted "someone who was mousy and quiet and retiring, and that's what I was." "I had to look, if I did not want to be a victim—and I'd been committed to being a victim for a long time because it felt really warm and comfortable and familiar—but it was a disastrous position to be in." Attached Images
	__________________ "Jesus loves you and He approves this message." "I'm alive. I'm feeling good. I'm trying to live every moment as much as I can." - Valerie Harper, March 2013

03-06-2011, 04:21 PM	#3
Family Ties Forever! Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 16, 2002 Location: Keaton residence Posts: 10,214	David Birney is using words such as "abuse, assault and battered". I find that ironic. Whether he was abusive or not, I'm not sure. I can't imagine he would admit the abuse. Most abusers deny accusations of abuse. It's possible David Birney may have abused Meredith. I watched Meredith on Oprah. I'm not a fan of Oprah, but tuned in to see what Meredith had to say. It was nice to see Michael Gross there. David and Meredith even disagree on how long they were married. She says fifteen years and he says sixteen years.
	__________________ Jenny

03-06-2011, 08:53 PM	#6
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,472	David Birney "creepy and sinister looking?" I don't know about that... He does have kind of an ethnic look, but regardless, can you really tell a person's true nature just from outward appearance? What -- if he looked like Cary Grant, would that make him a better man in this mess? The truth in this lies somewhere in between. Verbal abuse is something that goes on in many relationships, but the degree of that is something that neither side likely can ever agree on. Personally, in recent years I think Meredith has come off as somewhat flaky. Remember that she's switched from hetero to homosexual so relatively late in life -- did Birney's abusive behavior have anything to do with that, or was her sexuality changing regardless of the influence of "bad" men? I mean it seems rare for a person to change as an adult -- maybe notsomuch in Hollywood though. It's natural for a woman to take Meredith's side in this, but while I respect your honesty in saying Birney looks sort of creepy, I know that you in your own life you've met people who hardly look like Pierce Brosnan or Robert Redford, yet were fine men in every important way...! Oh well, I suppose this is why with some exceptions the bald and overweight guys are cast as the villains in so many shows.
	__________________ In memory of lovely Erin Moran 1960-2017 ~ Missing you "For you are beautiful ~ And I have loved you dearly ~ More dearly than the spoken word can tell..." "What's the word?" (Paul Martin) ~~ "I don't want money for nothing." (Timmy Martin) -- Lassie ROCKS! WORD UP "It's just a dugout that my dad built... In case the reds* decide to push the button down..."*

03-06-2011, 04:09 AM	#2
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Whoever wrote this article made a big mistake - when they were together, the Birneys had two daughters and a son - not THREE sons!! Those children were Kate (born 1974) and twins Peter and Mollie (born 1984). Proofread, people!!!

03-06-2011, 04:30 PM	#4
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Well, we the public don't know for sure what happened, but my gut instincts tell me that Meredith is telling the truth (and one of the daughters they share backed her up on Oprah). I always thought David Birney was a creepy and sinister looking man, and a bit of a phony. To me, there always seemed to be something a little off about him. Then again, that's just my take. I think the duration of the marriage was legally, 16 years - 1974-1990. Meredith mentions in her book that the separation began at the end of 1989 and that the divorce was final about 8 months later. Maybe she just considered it over in 1989. Who knows? Jenny, have you read the book yet? There are definitely a lot of interesting stories that Meredith shares. It also confirms that Michael Gross is a WONDERFUL man, on-screen and off. We could all use a friend like him.

03-06-2011, 08:18 PM	#5
Family Ties Forever! Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 16, 2002 Location: Keaton residence Posts: 10,214	No, I haven't read it yet. I should look into getting it though.

03-06-2011, 09:20 PM	#7
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	It's nothing to do with David Birney's ethnicity or coloring that make him seem creepy to me. Just something about the looks in his eyes and just this aura that make him seem sinister to me. Trust me, I've known blond, WASP-type men who gave off that same aura. Plus, again, it's just me. I don't know either party here and am unlikely to ever meet them, so I could be all wrong.

03-06-2011, 09:26 PM	#9
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,472	Sorry, I didn't mean to say that his looking ethnic caused you to think he looked creepy. I just was saying that looking at him, I think "ethnic" instead of sinister or otherwise. Maybe it would help to think of him when he was younger. It's interesting to see how a person's looks change. For me, I wasn't a fan of how Joanne Linville looked when I first saw her work and was creeped out somewhat. But the more I saw from different eras, the more I appreciated her beauty.

03-06-2011, 09:54 PM	#10
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	I've seen some of his earlier work on YouTube, etc. and even as a younger man I found he had that same aura. I can't describe it, really.

03-28-2011, 04:31 AM	#11
catlover79 God Bless Val Forum Addict Join Date: May 29, 2006 Location: Bewitched in Ohio Posts: 70,376	Before this, the only thing I remember Meredith saying about her former marriage to David is that they are two people who should never, ever have gotten married. That was several years ago, and she didn't elaborate. Does anyone else remember this?