Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (1999–…): Season 18, Episode 4 - Heightened Emotions - full transcript

.

- In the criminal justice
system,

sexually based offenses

are considered
especially heinous.

In new york city,
the dedicated detectives

who investigate
these vicious felonies

are members of an elite squad

known as
the special victims unit.

These are their stories.

- Mommy?
Mommy?

- Honey.



Honey, you've been going
over an hour.

- [panting]
one more mile.

[breathing heavily]

[beeping]

- I know I did wrong,
and I know I can do better.

For me, but also for--

for my one-year-old
niece, jesse.

I haven't met jesse yet.
That's my own fault.

But after she was born,
I realized that there was

something much bigger than me
outside of these walls.

And I trust in jesus and
the mercy of this parole board

to give me the chance
to look jesse in the eye

and tell her how proud I am of
her mother,

my sister amanda.



- Your sister kim
made parole

and now she wants
to live with you.

- I know it sounds crazy.
I should say no.

- What are her options?

- She can't leave the state,

so it's either
my apartment or a shelter.

- Amanda...

That may not
be the worst place,

considering the trouble that
this woman has gotten you into.

- Women get raped
and killed in shelters.

And kim says
she's found religion.

- Well, I hope so.

Because if you cover
for her again,

I will take your shield.

[relaxed dance music]

- [sighs]

- six in a row.
Damn.

- [laughs]

another, joe.
Get lucky number seven.

[laughs]

♪ ♪

- you just might be the most
gorgeous woman I've ever seen.

- [panting]

- miller takes
a few steps back.

[chanting]
jenna! Jenna!

Look at
that razor-sharp focus.

[breathing heavily]

[grunts]
yes! Yes, yes.

[siren blares]

- ma'am, are you all right?

[police radio chatter]

[panting]

[sirens wailing]

- 10-4,
she's running away.

[tires screech]
- [hyperventilating]

- stop!

- [laughs]

- what happened to you?

- I won!

[laughs]

- dispatch, we're all fine.
- Copy that.

- I won.
I won.

Thank you.
[sobs]

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- okay, lieutenant.
Yeah, I'll be there in 20.

Kim?

Jesse?

- Oh, we're right here.
- What--what were you doing?

- Oh, we were just looking
at ourselves in the mirror.

- Oh, hey.
- Weren't we, cutie pie?

- Hi, baby.
Come on, baby.

- You can trust me
with my niece, amanda.

- Can I?

- Hey, mistakes happen
in life.

The strength of your character
is determined

by how you bounce back.

- Yeah, save
the fortune cookie philosophy.

I heard enough
at the parole hearing.

And, kim, just so you know,
there are ground rules

if you're gonna be
staying here, right?

- Oh, I know.
No drinking, no drugs,

no staying out
past curfew, no men.

- I'm serious--one screw-up,
and you're at that shelter.

We're clear about that.
- Crystal.

- Okay.

- Hey, jesse and I can wait
for the sitter.

We got frannie
to keep an eye.

- That's not happening, kim.

Come here, baby.
Hey.

- We're gonna have to earn
mama's trust, aren't we?

Put our faith in the lord so
he'll see us through this, too.

- Hey, sorry I'm late.
What are we looking at?

- Vic, jenna miller,
housewife from long island,

picked up jumping
around manhattan at 3:30 a.M.

- Jumping?
- Literally.

From a rooftop.
High blood alcohol, no drugs.

- Think she was raped?
- Well, she didn't disclose,

but she had anal bleeding,
bruising, bite marks

at the breasts
and to the thighs

the sane nurse called it in
just to be safe.

- Is her husband in the picture?
- He's on his way,

but I wanna get her story
before he shows up.

- The nurse shouldn't have
called the police.

- Okay, well, you don't
have to speak with us,

but--but you have
serious injuries,

consistent
with sexual assault.

- Do you remember what happened
to you last night?

- No.

Uh...
Not really.

- Were you meeting somebody
in the city?

- No.

I just came in for a drink.

- Ms. Miller, whoever
inflicted these injuries--

unless you wanted that
to happen--that's assault.

Maybe even rape.

- I wasn't meeting anybody.

- I wanna see my wife!

- Sir, please.
Have a seat.

- Listen, if there's anything
that you wanna tell us,

you know, without your husband
knowing, now would be the time.

- I just wanna go home.

- What should I
tell the husband?

- Oh, it's okay.
I-I just needed to explain.

- Okay.
Bring him in.

- Jenna?
Hey! Sorry.

What the hell happened?
- Sorry.

- They told me
you're with the police?

- Where--where's sam?
Where is he?

- Now you think about him.

Sweetie, I've been worried sick,
you gone all night.

- [crying]

I was raped.

- Wait, what?
- Mr. Miller.

- If I could speak with you.
- Wait, what? What did you say?

- Just for a minute,
by ourselves, alone.

- Just--just--can we--
- just for a minute.

Look, I know that
this is upsetting,

but we just wanna find out
what happened to your wife.

And I need your help.
Okay?

So where were you last night?

- I was at home.
I was watching our son.

- And your wife just went
into the city on her own?

To meet a friend?

- Yeah.
No, no, alone.

That's what she told me.

She does that
sometimes to unwind.

- So she's under stress.

- Well, yeah, our son's five.

- Okay.

- So she--she comes into
the city, she blows off steam,

and, uh, the next day
she's herself again, you know?

- So, um, I hate to
have to ask,

but how's your marriage been?

Any--any troubles at home?

- No.

I mean, we have arguments
like any couple,

but we love each other.

Okay, she ever talk to you
about these nights out?

What she does?
Where she goes?

- Look, I don't wanna be
the kind of husband

who keeps tabs on his wife.

What's gonna happen to her?
You gonna find this guy or what?

- Well, we're certainly
gonna investigate.

The problem is your wife
doesn't remember much.

- Well, maybe, um,
maybe that's for the best.

- If there's something you don't
want your husband to know,

we get that.

- I'm not having an affair.

If that's what you think.

- So what did happen?

You--you said
you were raped.

But if that's not
the whole story--

- no.
I was raped.

- Was it someone you knew?

- No.

He said his name was...

Phil.

- Where did you meet him?

- A hotel bar.

Somewhere downtown.

We got a room.

- Okay.

- He hurt me.

I said no.

He forced himself inside me
from behind.

- Let's do a rape kit
and go from there.

- I know every vic lies about
something, but this woman--

- well, the husband's
hiding something too.

- You make him
as a suspect?

- No, there's too much
run around for domestic abuse.

[cell phone vibrates]

- but my money,
she picked up a stranger

and things got rougher
than she wanted.

- Which, if she didn't want it,
that means she was raped.

- Either way, she's not
telling us the whole story.

[clears throat]
ah, police report says

she was picked up
on mercer and broome.

- Okay,
- so talk to unis.

Right, have them canvas
hotel bars for now.

We work around her,
not with her.

- The manager said you guys
were looking for the bartender

who works night shift.
Can I help you guys?

- Yeah, uh, you see this woman
here last night?

- Yeah, barbie.
- Barbie?

- I'm guessing
not her real name.

She comes in
a few times a month.

Never seen her
pay for a drink once.

- Who paid for her drinks
last night?

- Some rich douchebag.

- All right, well, any chance
this rich douchebag

used a credit card
with his real name?

- I'm michael wheeler.
Those are my charges.

Is there a problem?

I didn't get any calls
from the credit card company.

- There's a problem
but not with your credit card.

- Here, you buy drinks
for that woman last night?

- Yeah. Why?

- She was sexually assaulted.

- Not by me.
- Well, good.

So we get a sample
of your dna,

it's not gonna
match her rape kit?

- Wait, wait,
she's saying I raped her?

I'm not surprised.

Biggest pain in the ass hooker
I ever met.

- You're telling us that--
that she's a prostitute.

- Are you guys gonna jam me up
on a solicitation charge?

- Tell us what happened,
unless you want us

to jam you up
on a rape charge.

- [sighs]
okay, this woman, barbie,

comes on to me,
asking if I want a date.

I get a room, lay out 500.

We go at it.

And she starts crying.

I'm being "too rough."

I told her,
"that's what I'm paying for."

so, yeah.
She's a prostitute.

Did she forget to mention
that detail?

[knock at door]

- this isn't a good time,
detectives.

- You're gonna have to
make time.

We found phil.
Is that the man that raped you?

- Yes.

What did he say?
- He said that you--

that he paid you for sex

and that you were
working as an escort.

- Is that true?

- [sighs]

yes.

- And your husband
doesn't know.

- I know this sounds bad.

I can explain it.

About a year ago,
I was at a bar.

This guy hit on me.

I went for it.

And when we were done,
he just left, like,

200 bucks
on the dresser,

and I-I-I was shocked.

And then I was thrilled.

[sighs]

I guess I--
I got hooked.

- Is this something
you do often?

- Once in a while.
I know it's wrong.

- Jenna.

Not here to judge you.

But you need to be
completely honest with us.

- Okay.
This guy raped me.

I did--I didn't even
take the money.

I just ran out of there.

Chad?

- Hey.
What's going on?

- You know, we just have
a few more questions.

- I thought you were
putting sam to sleep.

- I hope we aren't
being too loud.

- Jenna, we gotta tell them
the truth.

They're gonna find out,
eventually.

- Find out what?

- [sighs]

jenna is--she's
an olympic-level pole vaulter.

The world record holder.

What happened to her
is tabloid news.

- Wait, you competed in rio?

- I didn't make the team
on a technicality.

But four years from now,
in tokyo--

I'm the front-runner
for gold.

So, I mean, the training,
the marketing--

it--it's already started.

But if any of this about
my personal life goes public,

I--I lose everything.

.

- Jenna miller's going
for her third attempt at 4.85

to qualify for team usa.

It's all riding on this jump.

Looks like
she's clearing it.

Yes, it's good.

[crowd roars]
wait, hold on.

The judge is red-flagging it.

The pole may have slightly
dislodged the bar on this jump.

That means that
the world-record holder,

jenna miller, won't be joining
team usa this summer.

And this is really going to
hurt usa's chances for a gold.

- Okay, so jenna miller's jump
was disqualified

because of a technicality,
which is too bad

because she won gold twice
at the internationals.

She was the three-time winner at
the outdoor world championship.

- She's the front runner
for the next olympics

which makes her hesitant
to be truthful

about leading her double life.
- What double life?

- She has been moonlighting
as an escort.

- Excuse me?

- Okay, I was
just getting to that.

Jenna admitted to us that she's
been prostituting herself.

And she was raped by a john.

- And we tracked him down.

Michael wheeler,
he's a hedge fund guy.

He admits to having sex,
he admits to getting her off--

- but he says he paid
for what he got.

- What he took.
By force.

- But it doesn't sound like
jenna's willing to go forward.

- Because she's afraid
of publicity ruining her career

and her husband finding out
what she does

on these girl trips
to the city.

- I'm sure she is, but I can't
make a case like this

without the victim's
cooperation.

- Wheeler didn't flinch.

It's probably not his first time
raping a hooker.

- So let's look at
escort agencies,

mandatory reporting
with the same m.O.

- My first press case
was a prostitute rape.

I know the drill.

But a guy like this is gonna
put up a better fight.

And a more expensive one, too.

- And that's why we have you.

- Must be nice
being a millionaire.

Wheeler racks up over 30 grand
a month on drinks, dinner,

miscellaneous
entertainment fees.

- Code for escort services
and strip clubs.

So he's sleazy.

Okay, and he raped jenna?

- But you don't have
a lot of sympathy for her.

- She has a son, she's got
a husband who loves her.

Why throw that away?
- Yeah, but it can't be easy.

You know, being an athlete,
competing at that level.

You know, that's a lot
of pressure.

- Hey, we all have
a lot of pressure.

[knocking]
- hi.

- Hey, am I interrupting?
- Uhh--

- hey, sonny.
- Hey, hey.

- Why are you here, kim?
- Oh, I know

I should have called,
but I was in the neighborhood

and I thought
I'd just stop by.

I had my first meeting
with my parole officer today.

- How'd it go?
- It went great.

Actually, we talked about
my getting a job,

maybe going back to school.

- You can't just show up
at the precinct, kim.

- I know.
I'm sorry, I--

I just wanted to tell you
that things went well today.

- [stammers]
- you can be happy

about that, right?
- Just go home.

Okay?

- Okay.
Bye, sonny.

- What?

- Just seems like
she's trying, that's all.

- Yeah, but that's what
I'm scared of.

The calm before the storm.

I can't have my life
blowing up right now.

Not with jesse.
- That was your sister?

- Yeah, it's fine.
- All right.

I tracked down
some working girls who say

they know michael wheeler.

- That's wheeler.
Calls himself "phil."

he's a real pervert.
My booker cut him off.

- Why's that?

- 'cause he thought
if he was paying

he could do
whatever he wanted.

- Right, so he did things
that you didn't want.

- Something like that.

- Was he rough?
- Real rough.

I mean, that was
part of his thing.

Hitting, slapping.

The more you said no,
the more he liked it.

- You call the police?

- [chuckles]
cops?

Why?
- 'cause he raped you.

- No such thing
in this line of work.

- So you're saying
wheeler raped you.

- Yeah.
He paid for straight sex,

but then he just did
whatever he wanted.

I bled for days.
- Did you report it?

Or go to the hospital?
- No.

I asked him for five grand.
He paid up.

But if you need me
to testify, I will.

I hate that bastard.

- We found a dozen escorts
who had either been

physically assaulted
or outright raped

by michael wheeler.

- None of them
called the cops.

None of them did a rape kit.
- The only woman I talked to

who was willing
to testify got paid off.

- Which, while showing
a pattern,

would make
her testimony impeachable.

- This guy
is a serial predator.

- He targets sex workers
because he thinks

he can get away with it.
- [sighs]

- I hear you, he's despicable.

- Which brings us
back to jenna miller.

We got a rape kit,
we have an outcry.

Can't we compel her to testify?
- Well, we can.

But if she won't cooperate,
it's a waste of time.

- I can't imagine she wants
to get on the stand

and tell the whole world
and her husband

that she's
a part-time hooker.

- Maybe she doesn't have to.

Let's try to convince her
to do a controlled meet.

- Michael wheeler's
done this before?

- Multiple times, and he's hurt
some of these women badly.

- So get one of them
to testify.

- It's--it's not
that simple.

There's no evidence; they didn't
come forward at the time.

- Oh, yeah, they thought
they wouldn't be believed

'cause they're hookers.

Wheeler really is a bully.
- And that's why we wanna

go after him.

- This can't go to trial.
He'll find out.

- Well, jenna, there may--
there may be another way.

Would you be willing
to call michael wheeler

and see if he would meet you

and wear a wire?

- Means like work undercover?
- Kind of,

but we would talk you
through the whole thing.

And if there's
any admission of guilt,

that would help us
resolve the case

and force him to take a plea.

- Can we do it, like, now?

- Phil.
Thanks for coming.

- How much?
Give me a number.

- What do you mean?

- You called the cops on me.
This is obviously a shakedown.

- It's not this guy's
first time making a payoff.

- She just needs
to keep him talking.

- She's doing all right,
rollins.

She's doing all right.

- How much?
15 grand?

- [scoffs]
I don't want your money.

I want an apology.
- For what?

- For what you did to me.

- [chuckles]
yeah, right.

So if I do apologize,
that's it?

You'll back off?

- Just say it.
Say it, you owe me that.

Just say it,
you son of a bitch.

Just say it!
- Jenna!

Hey, what the hell's going on?
- Is that who I think it is?

- This is not good.
- Let's go.

- Excuse me.
What's going on here?

- Back off, all right?
She's my wife.

- Your wife's a hooker.

- Nypd!
- Hey, everybody back down.

- You called the cops again,
you crazy bitch?

- You're going down.
- You're the one?

You raped my wife?
- You can't rape a whore.

[punch landing]
[grunting]

[crowd chattering]

- no, no, no!
- You okay?

- Hey. You okay?
- Yeah.

Yeah, I'm good.
I'm great.

My whole life just went up
in flames.

.

- Chad is gonna leave me.
It's all my fault.

- No one deserves
to be raped, jenna.

- [sighs] I put myself
in the situation.

- Okay, but--
but you know what?

We need to talk about
you and your husband.

He's pretty angry right now.

Do you feel safe
going home with him?

- What--do I--
like I think he's gonna hit me?

No.
- Okay, we just have to ask.

- Is he in trouble
for punching that guy?

- Not with us.
We want wheeler behind bars.

- Oh, god, if this
goes to trial,

it makes who I am
and what I've done

public record.

- Most mainstream media outlets
won't publish the victim's name,

but there are no guarantees.

- I know he's hurt
other women.

I wanna do the right thing.
I--I just--

I can't risk the publicity.
[sighs]

- I get it.

- I gotta talk to chad.

Tokyo in 2020 is his dream
as much as mine.

- So what happens now?

- Talk to the da's office
and find out

if there's enough to prosecute.

- I'd have to testify.

- It's not worth it.

We can't change what happened.

- A crime was committed.

So what happens next
is not entirely up to you.

- That's easy for you to say.

You're not married to her.

You didn't dedicate
your entire life to her.

- That was rough.

Husband finding out
his wife's a prostitute.

- Every relationship
has secrets, carisi.

- That's why I'm happy
I'm single.

- Yeah. I get it.

- Hey, everything okay
with you and tucker?

- We got something, liv.

Maybe a way to make the case
without using jenna.

- A witness?
- I went through

her phone records
from that night.

One call to her home
at 8:30 p.M.,

then nothing for four hours.

But at 1:20 a.M., she makes
a call to a new york cell.

She speaks to him
for 17 minutes.

- We traced the call
to derek kaller.

He's one of the biggest
sports agents in the business.

He represents players
on the knicks and the mets.

- And olympic medalists
that look like models.

17 minutes?

That's enough time
to disclose a rape.

- Yes, jenna miller
is a client.

- When was the last time
you spoke to her?

- Maybe a few days ago?

- What'd you two talk about?

- Business.
What's going on here?

- What'd you two talk about
at 1:20 a.M. Two nights ago?

- Oh, so that's what this is?

Look, she was drunk.
She called me upset.

I told her to go home,
sleep it off.

- She say anything else?
- Look, I'm her agent.

I am obligated
to protect her privacy.

- We're investigating
a rape allegation.

- Okay, she did say she picked
up a man and that he...

Raped her.

But she said
a lot of things.

I thought she was
hysterical, irrational.

- Did you tell her
to call the police?

- Look, I didn't think
she meant it.

- She ended up
in the hospital.

- She didn't tell me.
Neither did chad.

- Yeah, 'cause they didn't
want this going public.

They were afraid that she was
gonna lose her endorsements.

- Yeah, they're right.
Look, she is one of

the most naturally gifted
athletes around.

Plus she's sweet and gorgeous.

With a near miss going to rio,
she has the world's sympathy.

She's looking at millions.

- And you're looking at
10%, right?

- I have a lot of clients,
detective.

Jenna was assaulted.
Of course I'm outraged.

I want what's best for her.
- So you're willing to testify

that she disclosed to you?

- When would the trial
take place?

- As soon we arrest
and the judge sets the date.

- Any way to postpone it?

- For how long?
- Until after tokyo?

- Four years?
No, it doesn't work like that.

Da's moving now.

- Derek kaller
has agreed to testify?

- Yes. He sent me
an email this morning.

He's coming over today
to go over his testimony.

- But that night,
when I talked to him,

he told me to just go home,
not to tell anybody.

That it could
damage my image.

- We're past that
right now, jenna.

- Kaller's all about
protecting his investment.

I'm surprised he agreed.
[cell phone vibrating]

- oh.

I get it.

He just dumped me.

"I want you to get
the help you need.

"in the meantime,
it's best that

"we terminate our
professional relationship.

"your personal life is
clearly incompatible

with the values this firm
and its clients demand."

- I'm so sorry, jenna.

- So that's it.

That's it.

My--my endorsements.

My--my--my career.

It's over.

I'm a tabloid headline.

"the pole vault hooker."

- we're gonna find
a way out of this.

- No, we won't!

There's no coming back
from something like this.

And then that--
that bastard wheeler,

he just gets away with this?
- Not if you testify.

Not if you
look him in the eye,

and tell that jury
what he did to you.

- I'm in.
You have my word.

I want him to suffer
like I'm suffering.

.

- Wall street financier
michael wheeler

goes on trial today.

Wheeler is accused
of raping

world-class pole vaulter
jenna miller.

- Miller had been seen
as the future face of team usa,

until a rape investigation
uncovered her secret life

of prostitution.
- The athletic community...

- There she is. Jenna!
- Jenna!

- Jenna, answer a few questions?
- Jenna, will you be

censured by the committee?

- Ms. Miller isn't answering
any questions.

- How do you expect
to win this case?

- And I'm not answering
any questions, either.

- Ms. Miller?
- Is it true she was paid

for rough sex?
- Except for that one.

Paid or not paid,
no means no.

Consent can be revoked
at any time.

- Ms. Miller, can we get
a comment from you?

- Just try to ignore them.
- The press used to love me.

Hypocrites.
- Don't look back.

Jenna miller was taken to
the er with bite marks

on her breasts and her thighs.

She was bleeding, all injuries
consistent with sexual assault.

- Did you talk to jenna
at the hospital?

- Yes. She said that
she had been raped.

- Did jenna tell you
that she had been

offered money
for the sexual encounter?

- No, we found that out
subsequently,

from the defendant.
- Did she actually

take the money
the defendant offered her?

- She did not.
She said the defendant

got so rough with her,
that she ran out of the room

and never--
- objection. Hearsay.

- Sustained.

- Nothing further.

- So, lieutenant,
you are saying that the victim

lied about being paid for sex

and the fact that she was
an olympic athlete?

- It's not uncommon
for victims

to omit details of their story
to protect loved ones--

- so are you are saying
she lied, correct?

- I'm saying that she left out
parts of the story.

- Which means she lied.

And the injury she sustained,
isn't it possible

that a prostitute--
someone who gets paid

to have sex for a living--
- objection.

- Get to it, mr. Varma.

- Isn't it possible that
these injuries are consistent

with consensual,
albeit physical, sex?

- In my opinion, no.

- You're a police officer.
Not a doctor. Correct?

- I've been an svu detective
for 17 years.

- Which means you are qualified
to investigate rape cases,

not evaluate medical injuries.

Nothing further.

- So were you soliciting sex

on the night
you met the defendant?

- Not exactly soliciting.

I was at a bar,
having a few drinks

and he--
the defendant--

started flirting with me.

It felt good.
[chuckles]

I like when men notice me.

You know, I'm so used
to being an athlete.

It's nice to be noticed
just as a woman.

But what I'm trying
to say is...

I like the attention.

We got a room.
- Okay.

Did you tell him that he had to
pay you to have sex with you?

- No. He just assumed
that was the deal.

And I went along with it.

- So you got a room.

- What happened next?

- We started having sex.

Then he started getting rough.

He started hitting me.

I told him no,
that I wanted him to stop.

And that made him
more aggressive.

And then he started to do,
um, other things.

- Other things like what?

- I, um--

I told him I didn't want
to have...

Anal sex.

And he, uh--
he started laughing

and then he--he--he--

he did it anyway.

- So you told him you absolutely
did not want to have anal sex,

but he did it anyway.
- Yes.

And when he was done,
he threw money at me.

I didn't take it.
I was--I was hurt.

And I was--
I was bleeding, it's--

I just ran out of the room.

Eventually,
the police picked me up

and took me to the er.

And then the svu detectives--
I--I told them what happened.

And, um--

I'm ashamed about
what I did,

but I'm not ashamed
that I was raped.

And I want everyone
to hear my story

so this man can never hurt
another woman again.

- Thank you.

- You didn't make it to rio.

Is it fair to say

you were virtually unknown
to the public

before you falsely accused
my client of this crime?

- Objection, relevance.

- I'm getting to it, your honor.
- Get there quicker, mr. Varma.

- Happy to.

This is all just an elaborate
publicity stunt, isn't it?

Once my client outed you
as a prostitute,

your career was over.

So you accused him of rape.

And now you are hoping
to capitalize

on your newfound
and sordid celebrity status.

- No, I would never want
this kind of publicity.

- Everybody is talking
about you.

Everybody is looking at you.
Looking at your body.

You just said, you like being
seen "as a woman."

you enjoy the attention.
- Yes, I do.

- And yet,
despite all your hard work,

you didn't qualify
for the team.

- My jump was disqualified
on a technicality.

It was unfair.

I'll be back,
four years from now in tokyo.

- Four years from now,
when you're what, 30?

If you do qualify--
if the governing body

doesn't ban you
for being a prostitute.

But I suppose my real point
here is:

Your body
is never gonna look

as good as it does right now.
- Objection.

- I--I would actually
like to answer that.

My body will look great
four years from now.

Better.
Because I work hard.

Harder than you can imagine.
- Oh, for a change,

I believe you there.

I believe it is
incredibly hard work.

That's why you wanted
to show it off

on the night that you met
michael wheeler.

- Objection.
Badgering.

- I'm following a line of
defense here, your honor.

- Overruled.
Witness may answer.

- Yes, I wanted to--
to--to show off--

- and then he rejected you.

He wasn't as impressed
by your body

as you wanted him to be.

He said that you were
too muscular, too masculine.

And that's when you cried rape,
to get back at him.

- Objection.
- How dare you use--

how dare you--who do you
think you are?

He said that he loved my body.

Everyone tells me
that they love my body.

I am 5'9, 112 pounds.

I bench press 150 pounds.
- Your honor, I need a recess.

- I squat 225, ten reps.
I mean, my body is perfect.

- Ms. Miller, what are you--
- it looks perfect!

[overlapping chatter]

ms. Miller, what are you--
[stammering] cover yourself!

- Your honor!
- Bailiff!

- We're adjourned for the day.

- Screw you and your
son of a bitch client.

My body is perfect.
I'm perfect.

I'm perfect.
- Come on.

.

- Knees up, come on!
Keep them up!

- Barba and benson
good with us

talking to jenna about this?
- I don't know. Yet.

Just--just let me see
if I'm right first.

- Come on!
Keep going, keep going.

- Chad?
- Hey, can we talk to you?

- No, we've had enough with
police and das.

- We just need one minute.
- I need to practice.

- It's 10:30.
- I'm energized.

- Okay, jenna.
- I can go all night.

- Have you ever talked
to a psychiatrist

about all of your behavior?
- No--I--

you know what,
you guys--you gotta

get out of here
right now, come on.

- No, no, I'm sorry.
- No--the mood swings,

sexually acting out,
all the anger,

there could be a reason
for that.

- You might need medication.
- What she needs

is to train, all right?

And focus.

Listen, do you know I--just
back off a second all right?

Listen to me. Do you know
how hard I've worked?

- I know.
I know.

Living with your behavior.
Your mood swings.

Your wild nights in the city.
- [laughs]

what are you--
what are you talking about?

[laughing]

what are you talking--
- you guys think I'm stupid

that I didn't figure out
what was going on?

Babe, listen.
You have some issues.

But we can still win
a gold medal.

I was protecting you, babe.
- [gasps]

wait.

You all think I'm crazy.
Both: No.

- You have a mental illness.
- I--

- jenna.
- Oh, my god.

- Listen, hey.
Hey--

let us--let us help you.

- Get away from me.

- Jenna...

I really think
you should talk to a doctor.

- Whatever.

- Dr. Cohen, you are a licensed
and certified psychiatrist

who examined jenna miller?
- That's right.

I met ms. Miller last week.

- What was your diagnosis?

- Jenna suffers from
bipolar disorder.

It's a medical condition caused
by a neurochemical imbalance.

It's a lifelong
incurable illness

that can be treated
with medication.

- Can you explain
the symptoms?

- People suffering
from this disorder

experience atypical
mood swings.

There are manic phases
and depressed phases.

- How is a professional athlete
with bipolar

particularly affected?

- An athlete like jenna,

uh, her culture, it lives in a
place where there's competition,

and victory,
and she must win at all costs.

- So if a female athlete
with bipolar disorder

were testifying in court,
for example,

might she feel the need
to win an exchange

with a defense lawyer?
- Objection.

- Overruled.

- If she was
experiencing mania,

she would not take no
for an answer.

She would do what was ever
in her power

to prove she was right.
- Like, say,

taking off her shirt
to prove

that she had
a beautiful body?

- Yes, absolutely.
- Thank you.

- If a person is manic,
they act impulsively,

have feelings of
invincibility.

Isn't it possible that someone
in this manic state of mind

might distort the truth,

especially if the truth
were incompatible

with her feelings of
irrational grandiosity?

- Yes, very possible.

- So if someone were having sex,
hoping to be admired,

but instead felt rejected,

wouldn't it be possible
that this person

might invent
a rape allegation

to keep her
manic state alive and well?

- It's possible,
but unlikely.

In my opinion, this person
would be more likely

to justify non-consensual sex
as consensual than vice versa,

because that might make
them feel better,

more potent,
more powerful.

- Nothing further.

- Your honor, I'd like to
call jenna miller to the stand

once again,
now that she's medicated.

- Uh, the jury has already
heard her side.

- Yes, but she deserves
the opportunity

to testify in a clear
and healthy state of mind.

- First thing tomorrow.
We're adjourned for the day.

[gavel bangs]

- turns out,
wheeler's lawyer got nervous

about jenna taking the stand.
- They wanna plea.

- Assault two.

He won't go on the registry,
but it's a "d" felony.

He'll get two to five years.

- So that means this is over?

- Yes.

If we take it to a jury,
he could be acquitted.

- Oh.

- We need to get on
with our lives.

- I agree.

- Good.
I'll make the deal.

- This is
the right decision.

- Yeah, I, uh--I know.

Thank you.

I'm on meds.

I'm starting therapy.
So--

it's a long road.

- What about tokyo?

- I'm putting that
aside for now.

- I know it's gonna be hard,
but we'll do it.

- [sighs] I've gotta work on
getting better at life.

You know, not just sports.

I started pole vaulting,
I realize now,

to try and quiet
the voices in my head.

Then there was
the acting out, I mean,

the drinking,
the acting out sexually.

Just taking risk after risk.
But now that I know the truth--

- you did right
by her, rollins.

- Yeah.

- At least now she knows why
she's so up and down.

- Hey, next time,
will you ask me

before you talk to a victim
about her testimony?

- Copy that.

Hello.

Hi, baby!

Hi!

Where is everybody?
Huh?

Kim?
- I'm in here.

- Oh.
Wh--where's the sitter?

- Her boyfriend
got in a car accident,

so I told her
it was okay to go.

- Why didn't you call me?
Why didn't she call me?

Hey!

What? What is this?

What are you taking?
- I have a headache.

It's aspirin.
- What are you on?

Are you on stuff?
Huh?

What are you on, kim?
I don't even--

what is this?
You're on oxy?

What, adderall?
What are you on?

What is this?
- It's lithium.

- What are--
you're getting high off lithium?

- It's prescribed.
Read the label, it's a--

it's a legal prescription.

- [stammers]
- lithium and asenapine.

For bipolar disorder.

- Oh, come on.
What?

- Lorenzo, my lawyer, he--

he was trying
to get me a deal,

you know,
mitigating circumstances.

And I was examined
by a psychiatrist.

I thought it was
just a legal thing.

But he told me that
I had all the symptoms.

That I was bipolar.

I mean, it makes sense,
you know?

All the highs and the lows,
and--

I mean, I've been on meds
for a year.

And sure, there's--
there's downfalls.

Sometimes I miss
the manic energy.

But for the first time
in my life,

I--I feel really good
about myself.

- [stammers, sighs]

you didn't tell me.

- You didn't ask, amanda.

- [sighs]