I have known Alana Newman since 2013. I was her sponsor when she entered the Catholic Church in 2014. My family moved to Lake Charles to be near her and her family in 2015. I know the family well.
My husband and I observed two ordinary people, with ordinary character flaws, in an ordinary marriage, with ordinary problems.
On June 29, 2018, Alana left her husband and took their three small children out of state. Her husband filed for divorce as the only way to induce her to bring the children back to Louisiana.
It has come to my attention that she is telling people she left “an abusive situation.”
Let me share one verifiable fact: the family court granted her domiciliary custody, with her husband having two weekends with the children per month. Yet she regularly leaves the children with him, unsupervised, while she leaves Lake Charles on overnight trips, sometimes for over a week at a time.
I ask you: Is this the behavior of a mother who left an “abusive situation?”
Her actions and explanations do not make sense to me. It is my considered opinion, that she is no longer a reliable spokeswoman for the cause of lifelong married love, and Catholic teaching on marriage and family life.
Dr. J's Blog 
Your leadership on all of the issues we must confront includes being a person who confronts the truth, even if it might be uncomfortable. Thank you, Dr. J. for all you do for the cause of trying to live out God’s plan for love, life and marriage and family.
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Thank you for posting this. I know the family as well, and it is such a shame to see how the evil one has pulled the wool over her eyes. It doesn’t make sense because it is senseless to think one can start a new life just because one wants to, and expect everyone else in the family to just deal with it. I wish there were more men like her husband. As a fellow husband, father, and friend, he has been and continues to be a great example of what a man is. One who chooses to love not only when it is easy, but especially when it is hard. Love is choice, not a feeling. The more people who live that out, the better we will all be because of it.
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Wow, it must have hurt so much to discover that Alana didnt feel safe in some way. For her not to come to you for support must have felt really confusing and sad, especially since you had been so close. It’s unfortunate that they couple didnt seek healing earlier. My opinion is that deliverance ministry should be a prerequisite for all couples as
part of marriage prep. The Evil one cripples us in different ways. My husband’s behavior has been abusive at times and no one saw it. His abuse wasn’t ok but to me getting help WAS viable and my husband did repent. May God bring restoration to all these broken relationships and mend all your hearts.
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