When I watched the 60 Minutes interview of Ruth Madoff and her son Andrew, I was struck by Ruth’s casual talk about her suicide attempt with Bernie.  She smiles as she talks about it and she is almost flippantly about it.

Do I believe Ruth and Bernie tried to commit suicide?  I do not.

When Ruth talks about the suicide, and is asked whose idea it was, Ruth says, “I don’t know whose idea it was, but we decided to kill ourselves because it was so horrendous what was happening.”

If either one suggested to the other to end their lives, I can be damn sure they would remember who came up with the idea–because such a suggestion is shocking to any living human being.  And to ask another human being to end their life is exceptionally difficult, at best.  

Imagine it:  “I want to kill myself, will you kill yourself too?”  No one forgets that conversation and the fact that Ruth suggests she did is strongly suggestive it didn’t ever happen in the first place.

Ruth then says that they took pills, and when asked what they took, she hedges.  She says, “I think Ambien.”  She thinks?  Give me a break!  

She continues talking about the pills, “How many?  I don’t remember.”

Who believes this? I certainly don’t.

The entire time Ruth talks about her suicide attempt she is smiling.  Smiling!!

It’s an arrogant and egotistical smile. It doesn’t fit.  Ruth does not give me any warm feelings whatsoever.

Has Ruth ever expressed remorse for the victims at all?  After all, knowledgeable or not, she did live the high-life on other people’s money illegally.

Ruth also tells us how she sent her baubles and family heirlooms to Andrew when she planned to commit suicide, but I personally suspect Ruth wanted to hide her assets in fear they would be taken away, so she sent them to her son in hopes he would hide them for her.  The problem is she allegedly wasn’t talking to her sons at that time and Andrew says he didn’t know what it was all about.  I can’t help but wonder if the suicide story is a cover as well as a way to garner a little sympathy.   

When Ruth talks about Bernie coming home with the boys to tell her about his ponzi scheme, she again can’t remember anything, which makes absolutely no sense. She couldn’t remember if Bernie was emotional that day, which is ludicris.  She can’t remember if he was even apologetic.   If she hadn’t know about this ponzi scheme that moment would have been seared into her brain and she would never, ever forget!  These things would have been exceptionally important to her at that time, but ironically they weren’t.

And furthermore, if she is so shamed by Bernie as she says then why the heck is she still married to him?  She has no plans for divorce.  She cut off contact with him only to have her son back in her life — which if one looks closely at could be a very selfish act.  I would suspect there are few people in her life these days outside of her relatives.

While I can’t be certain that Andrew and Mark knew about the ponzi scheme (it seems unlikely because they did turn in their father, and Mark committed suicide), I bet there were a lot of red flags that they saw which they discounted. I am further troubled by the fact that Andrew feels entitled to nearly $60 million dollars knowing that this money was not legitimate.  But when it comes to Ruth, her words and behaviors are painting a much clearer picture…if you want my opinion.