Dark Roots

Almost worse for Susan Tabas Tepper (for earlier posts on her royal nastiness, see From One Big House to Another and Swinging Susie) than her guilty plea must be the press reports about her. The Inquirer states, in Nanny attacker pleads guilty:

Villanova heiress Susan Tabas Tepper, in prison for six weeks on probation-violation charges, pleaded guilty yesterday to physically harassing her children's nanny and the woman's 9-year-old daughter May 20.

Tepper, 44, acknowledged in Montgomery County Court that the crimes had violated her probation for attacking another nanny in May 2006.

The mother of four will be sentenced for the offenses after 30 days of court-ordered inpatient psychiatric treatment, to begin as early as Friday. Tepper faces a maximum of 18 months behind bars.

"There's good evidence she's got mental problems," said Assistant District Attorney John Gradel, who declined to elaborate on psychological evaluations of the banking-and-hotel millionaire.

"She's just not right in the head," Gradel said. (Emphasis added).

Ouch. That sure has to hurt. Her lawyer then calls her problem "Anniversary Syndrome" which must be the mental health diagnosis flavor of the month. The Inky states:

Defense attorney Marc Steinberg said psychologists believe that Tepper suffers from "anniversary syndrome," a post-traumatic stress disorder that causes her to lash out "about the third week of May."

To protect her privacy, Steinberg would not elaborate on the event in Tepper's past that makes May a trigger month. It has nothing to do with her former marriage to lawyer Kenneth Tepper, Steinberg said.

Even worse is the coverage in the local Pottstown Mercury, ‘Serial nanny beater’ to undergo mental health tests:

A handcuffed Tepper, wearing black slacks, a scooped black top and red jacket and her shoulder-length blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail that displayed her dark roots, was escorted into the courtroom by sheriff deputies.

She subsequently took the witness stand to plead guilty to two summary offenses of harassment stemming from the most recent incident involving allegations she physically assaulted her latest nanny and her nanny’s daughter. (Emphasis added).

My favorite, however, is from the Save Ardmore Coalition blog, Lock Up Your Nannies....."Susie Bruisie" News:

Have you heard? Susan Tabas-Temper Pleads Guilty - Lawyers Claim Mental Health Issues?

Yeah...mental health issues indeed - does acting like a spoiled brat count? Ok, well this twisted fairy tale, The NEW Philadelphia Story has been the stuff People Magazine and Page Six (New York Post) thrive on from beginning to end...while former Main Liner Tory Burch has shed her country club "mommy and me" demeanor to become a vixen and nouveau New York City social climbing social-light and bunkmate of Lance Armstrong, Tabas-Temper seems destined for a straight jacket or striped p.j.s as everyday attire....and oh good golly, they refer to her still as a millionaire in the media - as if she earned any of that moola and wealth her family accumulated through hard work? Seriously, how embarassing is it her grandfather, father, and uncle were literally a rags to riches story....don't think there is a pill for selfish and self-important (if there was 80% of the Main Line would be on it)....

Much as I'd like to have sympathy for her, I just can't escape the fact that she certainly had the intelligence and financial ability to seek all the help she needed, rather than seeking her therapy by abusing the help. Save Ardmore gets it right on.

(Video available at KYW, Millionaire Pleads Guilty To Nanny Attack)

Tags: Philadelphia, Philly, News