Mary Kay Letourneau 'Made Peace’ With Vili Fualaau & First Husband Before Death

Mary Kay Letourneau certainly had a lot to reckon with on her deathbed.

The former teacher attracted national attention after pursuing an illegal relationship with a student in her sixth-grade class. Vili Fualaau was only 12 years old when he was sexually abused by Letoruneau; despite being arrested and convicted for child rape, and a court order meant to keep them apart, authorities further failed to protect the adolescent, and the pair had two daughters together before Fualaau turned 15.

The magnitude of these crimes may have been lost as the tragic story was unfortunately twisted into tabloid fodder back in the ’90s. However, according to a source for People, Letourneau “spoke to her family members about her past crimes” before dying from cancer at 58 years old.

The insider shared:

“When it was clear that she wasn’t going to make it, she made her peace with everyone in her life. She died having made peace with Vili, Steve [Letourneau, her first husband], and all six of her kids. Everyone said everything that needed to be said.”

We have to assume a lot needed to be said in this case; both families were changed irreparably by Letourneau’s actions. Fualaau and Letourneau, who remained a registered sex offender until her death, were divorced in 2019 after 14 years of marriage. Despite being separated since 2017, they reportedly remained an active part of each other’s lives right up until the end. Letourneau’s lawyer David Gehrke told TODAY:

“Vili moved back from California, gave up his life there, and for the last two months of Mary’s life he stood by her 24/7 taking care of her. So yes, they were divorced and they had their spats, but they were always in love with each other.”

People previously shared an insider perspective that Vili “lost a piece of himself” when Mary Kay died. Gehrke confirmed the “painful” experience, saying:

“(Fualaau) knew that this was Mary’s end coming, fast moving, and for her sake and the family’s sake, and for his sake, he came back up and was with her, and it meant the world to her. And I know it meant the world to Vili, as painful as it was.”

The People source shared:

“He understands how f**ked up everything was in how they got together. He’s not stupid. But he can’t turn off his feelings completely, and it’s a big loss for him. He talked to her right before she passed, and they said everything they needed to say.”

Hopefully, there is some peace to be had for those left behind within this complicated and devastating story.

[Image via 7News Australia/YouTube]