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Home › Politics

Question of the Day | 06/24/2009 11:00 pm

What thoughts do you have about Ruth Madoff as we near her husband's sentencing?

Ostracized, alone and who knows what color her roots are … Ruth Madoff’s florist, salon and her own two sons won’t talk to her. What are your thoughts about her as we near Bernie’s scheduled June 29 sentencing? Join Candice Bergen, Liz Smith and Joan Ganz Cooney in the discussion …
© AP
Joan Ganz Cooney

Joan Ganz Cooney | 06/25/2009 6:45 am

Joan Ganz Cooney on Pitying Ruth Madoff

Frankly, I don’t think about her. But now that you ask, I guess I feel a little sorry for her, particularly if she didn’t know that he was a crook.

comments11 Comments
Candice Bergen

Candice Bergen | 06/25/2009 12:20 pm

The Irony of Ruth Madoff, by Candice Bergen

Ruthie. We saw her in the Post this morning, riding the subway, complaining to the photog to stop embarrassing her and ruining her life. The expression on her face said it all. Pissed, no, seething with rage at this guy and who else?? But let’s be fair, she and Bernie are masters of their own (and many others’) fate. " Stop ruining my life"!!?? Aaargh. The irony.

And her roots, without a doubt, are gray, honey. Just like mine. Interesting that her hairdresser has barred her from the salon. And won’t it be interesting on Monday, to see Bernie again and what the sentence will be? How isolated is Ruth? Does she have any friends? Does she speak to her sons? Has she visited Bernie? The Vanity Fair piece recently interviewing his ex-assistant was fascinating because it gave a few needed wisps of texture to the characters in the play. Bernie’s narcissism. His enormous personal vanity. His hookers. His fawning/belittling of his sons. Until then, it was all inference. But, I do go on …

comments23 Comments
Liz Smith

Liz Smith | 06/26/2009 11:15 am

Liz Smith on Mrs. Madoff, Everywoman

Well, it was interesting to see the New York Post photo of Mrs. M. on the subway but they described her jacket, jeans and loafers as not being comme il faut, when actually I thought she looked pretty good and much like every other informally dressed New York matron trying to get somewhere.
    
Mrs. Madoff being hounded by the paparazzi is not an ethical question I’d bother to even worry about. Being photographed isn’t going to kill her and maybe her current “plight” gives some comfort to the people her husband defrauded.

comments6 Comments
Read more about: Bernie Madoff, Financial, Madoff, Money, News, Ruth Madoff, Scandal, Trial

42 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Linda Myers

She might make a call to Ken Lay’s wife and see if they could be friends? They would understand each other anyway.

By Linda Myers on 06/25/2009 12:17 am
Andrea Brandon

Is it just me, or was this same topic brought up before along with the same picture?

My answer still stands:  put the whole family in a cell together.

By Andrea Brandon on 06/25/2009 12:31 am
Andy C
Your answer is my answer — absolutely — or perhaps not together but each with their own "Bubba".
By Andy C on 06/25/2009 6:02 am
L. P Sodano
I am with you on that also….she knew something was up she isn’t a stupid woman what so ever just selfish at this point I do not feel sorry for her, what you put out to the universe comes back to you.
By L. P Sodano on 06/25/2009 8:18 am
Washington Cube

This was a family run enterprise.  That says it all.  Wasn’t wOw promoting the power of silver hair in the past? 

http://www.wowowow.com/post/silver-tsunami-gray-hair-beauty-power-color-women-57910

By Washington Cube on 06/25/2009 1:38 am
Maizie James
I’ve never understood why she wasn’t imprisoned WITH him. 
By Maizie James on 06/25/2009 2:14 am
L. C.
NONE !
By L. C. on 06/25/2009 2:15 am
canuck canuck
DITTO!
By canuck canuck on 06/25/2009 11:10 pm
Deniseann Taylor

There is no way she didn’t know what her husband was doing and up to, she is just as guilty, she deserves the same sentence he gets.

By Deniseann Taylor on 06/25/2009 3:28 am
Laurie Deer

She is like other wives of notorious criminal men.  From reading the Vanity Fair article, I am swayed to think she was aware and very involved in spending the money.  We know things change in our husbands, some of us are acutely aware of what it is and some not so much. 

How do I feel about it?  It saddens me to think of all the people he stole from who are without possibly their homes, a retirement and for the elderly who are now displaced.  

I wish her well and hope that she finds some type of redemption in the rest of her life.  

By Laurie Deer on 06/25/2009 5:40 am
Dona Howlett

GUILTY GUILTY GUILTY ON ALL COUNTS……….

She belongs in jail as well as her husband……….but not together.

The agony and disruption of thousands of lives deserves more punishment than just being jailed.  They should be made to work on a rock breaking gang………..work from dawn to dusk………….Truly, I can’t imagine how the people who have been personally affected by their crimes feel……I feel a rage toward that family…………and I haven’t in a personal level been affected.

My heart goes out to all those family’s who’s financial life has been destroyed by such vicious people.

As to her hair………hell I think it would be  deserving if it all fell out and she was never allowed to wear makeup and she felt ugly and like hell everyday………Gosh it sounds like I’m angry at these people…..WELL I AM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By Dona Howlett on 06/25/2009 5:41 am
f p
Sorry Ruthie but you were as complicit as hell in your hubby’s Ponzi schem—you belong in jail along with your sons. All the money you and they have still stashed needs to be recovered and given to those you robbed. I have no pity for you whatsoever. But you do deserve a fair trial. As do your sons.
By f p on 06/25/2009 6:26 am
deber B
Everyone feels the same way about this family.   I’m not sure why it deserves a thread.  They stole money from innocent people.
By deber B on 06/25/2009 6:52 am
C Hardy

I think there are other topics we could be talking about…We all know and think this family sucks why do we need to hear or talk about them anymore…

By C Hardy on 06/25/2009 7:15 am
Barbara
I am amused that so many places have picked up the story that her hairdresser will no longer do her every-six-weeks highlights, along with reports of her exact hair color.  If that’s the only fallout from this that she feels, then she got off pretty lightly.  This is the lady who was caught trying to transfer $15M but whose lawyers contend she was unaware.
By Barbara on 06/25/2009 7:56 am
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