First of all, I've read a lot of comments on this page about both Hannah and the mother, Gayle.  Neither of these women are perfect.  But I can see both sides of this.

Gayle loves her grandchild.  When her son ended the relationship with his ex, it jeopardized her relationship and the closeness she could have with that child.  And she's taking such a hard stance against Hannah, I think, because she's not only listening to what others are saying about Hannah, but can see the hurt that the ex went through when THEIR son ended the relationship.  Keeping the relationship with the ex I understand, but at the same time, they have to see that the ex does have hurt feelings and does probably hold resentment towards not only Hannah but their son.  Since she wasn't there, we didn't get to hear if she's poisioning them against Hannah, which I would be willing to wager money that she is.

But then I see Hannah's side of this.  You fall in love with this guy and you're happy with him.  But his family doesn't accept you and they're calling you the most horrible names and trying to undermine a relationship that makes you so happy.  She's probably had enough of the judgement, the hurt, and even the pain that she's seeing her fiancee go through.  I can't blame her for a bit of the anger that she's feeling towards Gayle.  She called Hannah a home wrecker and a whore without ever having met her.  But Hannah is not the one who had a child out of wedlock.  Hannah isn't the reason their son jeopardized their relationship with their grandchild.  But we tend to hide or shield ourselves from the mistakes of those we love.  They've used Hannah as a scapegoat for the anger they really feel at their son.  It's unfair.

However, I don't think that Gayle is taking the right stance.  She should be open minded and forgiving.  If you're a Christian, you're taught that forgiveness is one of the strongest things we have at our disposal.  By not letting go of this, it is putting a challenge to her relationship with one of her children.  She will never find happiness and wholeness in her family as long as she's taking such a hard stance against the woman he loves.  He fell in love with this girl who dated one of his friends when he was seventeen.  Who's to say that the reason he and his friend aren't friends anymore is because of Hannah.  They could have drifted apart (it was never mentioned).  

I hope for them both that they really gave his challenge a shot.  We often hold misconceptions about people and until we really get to know them, we can't change our minds.  I hope they can all find it in themselves to forgive one another.

This lady is so off kilter. What is really going on here is she is blatantly ignoring the fact that her son is sexually promiscuous and she wants to pass off the guilt of his sin onto the girl. Her son's behavior is utterly immoral as far as his sexual habits yet she is going to pick and choose scriptures and micro focus on this minor issue. Lady, you failed to raise a decent Christian guy. Don't blame that girl. This is not her issue. She is a hateful woman and a bully. She is like the Pharisees who uses scripture to justify gossip, hate, judgment and self righteousness. 


One of the biggest things stressed in the bible is loving people and humbly dealing with sin. This woman is not Godly, she is a phony. 

I found it interesting that Gayle stated that she believed Hannah's reputation must be an accurate representation of her because they live in a small town where people talk, and yet was clearly bothered and righteously indignant at the audience's reaction to her based in part on what her son and Hannah said about her. How hypocritical and, indeed, "ungodly" of her. Just a small detail, I know, but it bothered me terribly.

This is silly in many ways, but it's even silly Biblically. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, or oxen, or anything else belonging to thy neighbour. That's what the Commandment states. Coveting is not the same as owning. Coveting means a strong desire to possess, an envy even. You see what your neighbour has and you think "man, I want that SO MUCH". So it is a sin of thought and not of action.

Going out with a person who once 'belonged' to another is not coveting this person any more than it would be breaking this commandment if you bought a pair of oxen which your neighbour had previously sold. Your neighbour gave up those oxen. He parted with those oxen. Buying the oxen and then being the owner of them does not necessarily mean that you coveted those oxen while they were the property of your neighbour. At the point you take possession of the animals, you are not coveting what belongs to your neighbour as they are not your neighbour's any more.

Of course, this does not necessarily mean there was no coveting going on. It's possible that while Hannah was with her ex she did covet this guy, it's possible that he coveted her. But simply being in a relationship with each other does not mean coveting was occurring.

Hi , I did get over it. after two years i forgave the girl and hoped that she had changed and became friends with her again but she didn't change and just hurt me again. So her third strike was over and I haven't spoken to her since.
I always forgive until you hit strike 3 in my books. I am a very forgiving with an open big heart but when you have done me wrong 3 times then i just put a big X on you thats all.  And I was just trying to give an example on how people don't take into considerations to peoples feelings on the fact by going out with a friends EX or just disrespecting them in another way.
I am very giving and loyal to my friends so I just think that it should be given back.
Anyway I was younger then and it wasn't that I was blind I saw everything I was just too hopeful that it would all go away and change and to slow to get away before I got hurt.
i like to prove myself wrong and right alot that's my problem . Thanks for your words of advice it was nice

I am not going to get into opinions on Hannah as a person because I will tell you right now I have many in-laws who are much worse than her, and I am willing to get along with them for the sake of having a relationship with my blood.  The mother is not being reasonable, but it isn't exactly the way Dr. Phil painted it although he is close.  She feels rejected by her son in the same way that her in-laws rejected her.  She sees his act of setting an ultimatum as a repetition of the rejection and pain she experienced, and she sees it as stemming from Hannah.  She can't open herself up to the possibility of experiencing further trauma if she tries to have them in her life and is further rejected.  That is why she needs her husband there to protect her because she trusts him not to betray her (at least this go 'round, although he arguably did betray her originally when he did not rebuke his own parents).  Her reactions to the possibility that Hannah is not the devil are irrational because they come from a place of deep emotional hurt that is strongly embedded within her sense of self. She isn't a bad person at all.  She is just in pain and unwilling to acknowledge the root of it because that would make her vulnerable.

I agree with the other comments ! Hannah is going to be a teacher? Please don't allow her to deal with kids because she has no idea and is mean! 


The mother is a little judgmental but if my grandchild was being treated badly by my son and his girlfriend I wouldn't be happy either!


My mother in law didn't approve of me for years but I loved my partner and would never make it hard for anyone and waited years for them to accept me which they did! I would never yell at my mother in law no matter what they said to me because they were not my parents and I did everything possible to make them like me! Hannah is a bit,,h!  She is treating her boyfriends daughter badly and making it hard for him to have a relationship with his mother!


Ryan is delusional and he should watch this episode when Hannah is yelling at his mother and looks really nasty when she should be trying to win his mother over!  She can win the mother over with love and kindness and a lot of patience! I bet she won't!




Hanah should not deal with kids!

I thought the same while watching her talk about his daughter and her weight and smirking while talking about her cleaning the bathroom. I hope someone is going to watch over that child and tell her she isn't ugly. I really don't think Ryan has a super model's body myself, so she better hope her children don't take after him. I can't believe someone who teases overweight children is going to be a teacher.

He is 27yrs old, Hannah is 21yrs old, his daughter is 7rs old i.e. he was with his ex for longer than he was with Hannah. They made this show about those two going off and being happy with his parents ruining it by hanging out with his girlfriend, but he didn't just leave a girlfriend, he left someone he had a child with and was engaged to (as attested by the engagement ring hunting comment)- he got away with devalued her to "ex girlfriend" though. I can understand his mother still wanting a relationship with someone she bonded with i.e. the woman she thought was going to be her daughter-in law. I think Dr Phil skirted around the way he treats his daughter and ended up "nagging" him with a smile...

This show just aired in Australia today. I have never had the inclination to comment on any show before now, but felt I needed to here. I really felt for Gayle, I could see her sadness, her love for the scriptures,  and I understand her desire to not sway from her conviction. HOWEVER I am also convinced that her view is a very 'old testament' one, that is not founded on the only real hope we have as believers - GRACE. Gayle please go back to the bible, read about how much Jesus loved ALL, especially sinners (people who weren't living in a right way, ie all of us). He changed people through love, forgiveness, and making the ultimate sacrifice - dying for us all! The bible tells us that He did this for you and for Hannah. If that's how He sees her, this gives her indescribable value, and if you love God then you must love her, because (using a phrase you used many times), that's what God says, not what you say! By all means pray for her, but you are not God, therefore it is not your place to condemn her. Had to get that off my chest - best get on with my life now. That is all!