The ex-girlfriend of a former high-powered attorney with a celebrity clientele endured mental and physical cruelty during their relationship, but loved him so much that she found it difficult to leave him, a psychologist testified Tuesday.
Cheryl Arutt said she has evaluated 57-year-old Katherine Parnello of Woodland Hills for three years and suspected from their first session in 2012 that the woman continues to suffer from a disorder identical to that experienced by many returning war veterans as a result of her stormy romance with Neil Papiano.
“I was very certain that Ms. Parnello has post-traumatic stress disorder,” Arutt said.
Arutt said Parnello was typical of a domestic violence victim who was lured back into a relationship by an abuser who made false promises to end such behavior.
“It’s so common that it’s what we expect to see,” she said.
Papiano, 80, was a successful attorney whose client list included Elizabeth Taylor, Jennifer Aniston, singer Michael Jackson, announcer Ed McMahon, former Dodger Steve Garvey and onetime Oakland A’s owner Charles O. Finley. He is now classified as involuntarily inactive by the State Bar since being diagnosed with dementia.
Papiano sits in a a wheelchair during afternoon sessions of the trial of Parnello’s lawsuit, which is in its second week in Los Angeles Superior Court. The lawyers in the case say he is incompetent to testify.
Parnello, whose late father was a former musical conductor for Frank Sinatra, sued Papiano and his law firm in August 2012. She’s seeking damages for the alleged domestic violence, as well as her claim that he broke promises to support her for life if she gave up her lingerie business in which she made crystal bras with intricate braiding for famous clients.
She said Papiano did not have dementia during their six-year relationship that ended in 2012.
Papiano has countersued Parnello, alleging he gave her the $250,000 in February 2012 to buy property in his name, but that she later stopped communicating with him when he checked to see what she did with the money.
Arutt said she has treated more than 100 clients who suffered from domestic violence and that walking away from their abusers is never easy, “particularly if it’s someone you love … and that person is hurting you.”
“There is a tremendous amount of shame and self-blame,” she testified.
Arutt said a key incident in Parnello’s relationship with Papiano occurred in January 2012 at the Peach Cafe in Monrovia. Parnello previously testified that after she and Papiano arrived at the eatery, a woman who apparently was also involved in a romantic relationship with the lawyer was present and greeted him, prompting the plaintiff to realize he was cheating on her.
Parnello said she confronted Papiano about the woman and that during an ensuing confrontation, he choked her to the point she had trouble breathing.
Arutt said that Papiano managed to keep the relationship alive for a while longer, in part by giving her a $250,000 check to buy a home shortly after the Peach Cafe incident.
Arutt said 64 percent of people who are abused by loved ones end up with PTSD. She said that in addition to that disorder, Parnello suffered a brain injury from the alleged physical abuse by Papiano that has sometimes left it hard for the plaintiff to process things she reads.
Parnello, who said she once made intimate lingerie for such clients as singer Kesha and former Playboy Playmate Holly Madison, gave up her career after Papiano promised to support her for life, Arutt said.
Papiano’s attitude was, “No girlfriend of mine is going to work, I want you available for me,” Arutt testified.
Parnello also is seeking a return of a musical compilation of Frank Sinatra recordings she says was put together by her father and that she lent to Papiano. She said Joseph DeCarlo, a longtime friend of Sinatra and a former manager for singer Cher, has valued the cassettes at $500,000
Parnello said the the hit songs on the cassettes include “My Way,” “Pennies from Heaven,” “New York, New York,” “The Lady is a Tramp” and “Mack the Knife.”
— City News Service