Ever since rumors about Molly Shattuck’s sexual misconduct with a 15 year-old boy surfaced in mid-October, families in the North Baltimore community where Shattuck lives have expressed shock and dismay…along with distorted versions of events.
News of the sexual relationship was the worst kept secret in town for the last few weeks. Talk of Shattuck’s arrest (which proved to be premature), of her lock-up in a Delaware jail (false) or of her enrollment in rehab for sex addiction (also false) ran rampant. News organizations, including Baltimore Fishbowl, were privately taken to task — and accused of being “paid off” by the wealthy Shattucks — for not reporting on what many believed to be fact. (We were waiting for official word from Delaware authorities.)
“When is fishbowl going to report the latest on this “iconic” public figure???” wrote Barbara, a commenter on the Baltimore Fishbowl last Saturday. “Shame on you, Molly, for presenting yourself as an ‘advocate’ for children and playing the ‘religion card’ over the past year or so.”
Even before the rape and unlawful sexual conduct counts were brought against her by police yesterday, members of the community, who sat on boards, drove through carpool lines and watched lacrosse games with the bubbly blonde, were weighing in on the jaw-dropping news.
“What was she thinking??” said one woman who knows her from committee work at the Baltimore School for the Arts where Shattuck, 47, was on the board. “This is shocking even for her.”
Shattuck served on committees for the United Way of Central Maryland and the American Diabetes Association, among others. In 2012 she was one of The Daily Record’s Maryland Top 100 Women award-winners. Last May, The Girl Scouts honored her with a Distinguished Women Award. She has resigned from all of her boards and committees, The Baltimore Sun reported last night.
Molly Shattuck has been a high-profile and, at times, controversial Baltimorean ever since she married executive Mayo A. Shattuck 17 years ago. (They officially separated in the summer 2013, their friends say, but only filed recently for divorce, according to public records.) Thought of as a trophy wife by some, she gained a reputation for attention-seeking — a trait that raised eyebrows in the world of corporate wives and civic volunteers she inhabited once she married the former CEO — when she became the oldest cheerleader in the NFL at nearly age 40 and took a spot on reality show “Secret Millionaire.” Meanwhile, Mr. Shattuck, 59, attracted a different kind of negative attention during their marriage as the head of Constellation Energy Group, then the corporate parent company of public utility Baltimore Gas & Electric, keeping her in the public eye.
She endeared herself to a small circle of friends but at a time of crisis, has few sympathizers outside that circle (at least we could find few…if you are a sympathizer please let us know in the comments). Her three kids and the teenage victim? That’s a different story.
In this community of travel lacrosse teams and baseball leagues, many have brushed up against one or the other of the two families involved, and everyone hopes the children can recover.
“I just feel so sorry for the kids,” said one mom. “Can you imagine?”
“Yeesh, what a mess,” emailed another. “Poor kids.”
Indeed, many families whose children are friends with the Shattuck children are ready and willing to protect them. Their father called the parents of the children’s friends when rumors first surfaced to ask for support at this difficult time, said one woman he called.
“She really loved those kids,” she said. “And she was a good mom. That’s why it is so sad.”
As for the victim’s family, they are keeping a low profile and have the law and the community on their side to protect their privacy.
But for the alleged perpetrator, the gossip goes on. Since the story broke, speculation has moved on to whether Molly Shattuck will serve time, go penniless, retain custody of her children and more. Events like this are life changing not just for circumstances, but for relationships, too.
“My husband has forbidden me from speaking to her,” said one former friend. “There is a line you cross, and I am sorry, but there is just no going back.”
When the Delaware police released the booking photo of Mrs. Shattuck, she reflected nothing of the “Vibrant Living” brand she worked so hard to cultivate. Her long white-blonde hair tied in a bun, she wore no make-up, glasses, and a tiny cross dangling from her high-neck collar. Her face bore the signs of a woman half-crazed, wholly distressed. All vestiges of vibrant living were gone.
“She had everything,” said one acquaintance upon seeing her picture. “Why did she throw it all away?”
She pleaded Not Guilty, correct? Isn’t odd that whispers of the incident didn’t start until after SHE filed for divorce? She was married (and separated for over a year) to a very wealthy and influential man – a man who stood to lose a large amount of wealth in a divorce. Is it possible that she’s been set up? Can we at least entertain the idea that she is not guilty til proven otherwise and refrain from destroying her life and the lives of her sons? Is it out of the question that upon receiving notice of divorce proceedings, her husband set into motion events to disgrace his estranged wife and protect his full estate?
Your theory seems unlikely.
She did initiate the proceedings, but the accusations came before the divorce was set in motion.
Here is the sequence of events:
The child’s school learns of misconduct and informs police on Sept. 24.
Baltimore County Police tell Delaware State Police on Sept. 26.
The Shattucks file for divorce on Sept. 29.
Besides, there is nothing to indicate that the husband would go to such lengths to protect his estate. It seems pretty diabolical.
And in the innocent until proven guilty department, those talking about Molly Shattuck are doing so based on charges brought by police. Your accusation against Mayo Shattuck is based on…what? An episode of Knots Landing from 1979?
The stories about Molly began when Mayo started spending way too much time in the marketing department. This is simply a linear conclusion to many of her ‘episodes,’ most of which are unreported.
“My husband has forbidden me from speaking to her,” said one former friend.
Forbidden you? What is this, the 1700s?
My thoughts exactly. I’m a single mother and happily so. I wouldn’t stand for any person telling me what to do, including a husband.
Nope, just North Baltimore, 2014. 😉
wealthy housewives talk like this…….yes in the 21st century. If you could be a fly on the wall……you would be very surprised at what they talk about when they all get together. They can be catty.
I thought the same thing. If that’s what you get for being rich, I’d much rather stay struggling and free.
I think too many people are jumping to a lot of conclusions. This woman deserves a fair shake at justice–like we all do. Let’s let the courts and law enforcement do their job. Also, her kids don’t deserve any of the negative attention now directed toward them. I can’t believe in this day and age any woman would allow their husband to tell them who they can and cannot talk to as one of the women quoted in the story says.
Hello kat. Forget how the person said her husband asked her not to talk to Molly. I wouldn’t want my wife talking to Molly either if I was a husband. Things do rub off on people. (My issue is I feel the lady is guilty because she put herself out in the limelight too much. I am all for being different, talented, creative and energetic but when you put a wealthy spouse and a ‘peter pan spouse’ together, his work and his reputation will always suffer. Mayo S. was at this best when he was married to his first wife. He has a stable life with a son and daughter. He thought he was making the best decision for himself when he left his first wife!!!!!! Wrong!!!!!!! Old fools with a lot of money get blinded. He was blinded by the hair and body of Molly and she was blinded by his money. This scenario is so old. Once Mayo proposed to her 17 years ago if it was left up to Molly he would have married her the day after he divorced Jennifer. Don’t get this whole thing twisted. Mayo was not in the driver’s seat of this whole relationship that is why he quickly fired himself from his last post so she can not get a good alimony package once the divorce is settled. Mayo could never have guessed Molly would make contact with a boy 1/4 his age!!!!!!!
This took the spotlight off unseemly Mayo who fathered a baby with their just legal 19 yr old nanny. They both turned out to have lost their way.
This is a rumor we cannot confirm. Seems unlikely since the children are far too old to need a nanny.
Going forward with this story we will only approve comments that involve accusations in the public record.
kids are never too old for a nanny when they are many. my daughter has special needs and had a nanny up until she was 17. (kids can be any age and still have nannies.)
you can not prove this. If you look up his wikepedia write up. That information is not there. IF you feel this is correct, please update his profile for all of us. Did he also offer beer to the 19 year old??? Where is your proof??
There are a lot of people who grew up with Molly who believe innocent until proven guilty. And if proven guilty, she needs support and help. She was nothing but kind and genuine. Prayers to her and her family.
growing up with a person and working with a person in the corporate world are to different things!!!!!!!!! forget about the growing up. we are not in that world anymore…. your sentiments don’t hold water. sorry.
Why did she throw it all away? She’s a pedophile.
There was much wrong with Molly and Mayo Shattuck and their value system even before we got to this point. Who, with 3 small children, decides to go back to being an NFL cheerleader, a sport overwhelmingly made up of high schoolers? Just because you can, does that mean you should? And what of the husband who not only encourages this but takes photos of his wife in her underclothes to be viewed by a panel of strangers at the NFL? We chose to close our eyes to these things because presumably Molly was a nice person and Mayo had a high position in the last remaining Fortune 500 co in Baltimore (until he sold off the company to Exelon to further enrich himself)
We get what we deserve in life, don’t we.
Correct/agreed. Where do you think the Shattuck’s wealth came from? It was taken from the former shareholders of BGE. Constellation was the creature of Goldman Sachs (son Mayo Shattuck IV worked there ’til 2008) and one of their agendas was to dissemble BGE and divest it’s assets in the overall effort to consolidate electrical power generation from New York to Florida. That plan collapsed in 2008 leaving BGE pensioners/employees/shareholders (many Baltimore and Maryland families) with only a fraction of what had been their investments, incomes and retirements.
yes. sweetly said my dear. sweetly said.
I just don’t believe any of it. Please remember that she’s Innocent until proven guilty. In the mean time, let’s pray that Molly is getting the psychological support that she clearly needs, regardless of the verdict.
I have written a note to her telling her of my support. I have no room to judge anyone else, and besides, I don’t want her to kill herself.
Amazing what makeup can do. I’m sure the mug shot was staged by her attorney. I can’t imagine that outfit was eve in her closet. I’m sure it was posed and recommend by her attorney as well. Nothing about the mug shot is Molly. I hear she even painted her boyfriends house lime green and pink and he is now dressing like a Lilly palm tree.
the part that gets me is her effort to struggle and bring the ‘cross’ over top of her shirt/jacket so that it can be seen……. the chain is so short it should just be close to her cleavage inside but nooooooooooooooooo Molly must always be ‘seen’ and ‘heard’. This is just tooooooo much. I hope she will not get off with just probation. The judge should be someone she or her husband do not know and can not pay off. If the judge has lost his pension with bge we may just get a fair trial…..