Vili Fualaau has had a tumultuous life. When he was just 12, his infamous teacher Mary Kay Letourneau raped him when he was in sixth grade. Following her release from prison, they went on to marry, welcome two children together and ultimately divorced in 2019. Though their relationship ended, he “uprooted his life” to be with her during her final days before she died of cancer. Where is Vili today? Here is an update on his life.
Arrested for DUI
In September 2021, Fualaau was arrested for allegedly driving under the influence, In Touch confirmed at the time. He was taken into custody at the Snohomish County Jail after he failed the field sobriety tests and the breathalyzer, Washington State Patrol spokesman Sergeant Darren Wright confirmed to In Touch. Fualaau was released from custody one day after the incident.
Were Fualaau and Letourneau On Good Terms Before She Died?
Even though the couple parted ways, Fualaau “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,” her attorney, David Gehrke, told Today on July 8. “So yes, they were divorced and they had their spats, but they were always in love with each other.”
Letourneau’s lawyer said Fualaau knew “her end was coming,” so “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.”
The former teacher died at the age of 58 from stage 4 colorectal cancer, also known as colon cancer, on July 6, 2020.
According to a source who spoke to People about a letter from Letourneau before her death, she felt “deep remorse” for raping Fualaau.
“She understood that, more acutely at the end of her life,” the insider added.
How Did Their Relationship Start?
The Seattle-area teacher made headlines when her affair with her 12-year-old student, Fualaau, was exposed. She was arrested and charged with child rape after her husband, Steve Letourneau, found out about their sexual relationship. At the time, she was a 34-year-old mother of four.
While awaiting her sentencing, Letourneau welcomed her first child with Fualaau, Audrey, in 1997. Letourneau was paroled in 1998 but had to do another stint behind bars because she had contact with Fualaau. She later gave birth to their second child, Georgia, in 1998, while in prison.
Letourneau and Fualaau wed in 2005 and their marriage lasted until he filed for legal separation in 2017. Their divorce was finalized by 2019.
Have Their Daughters Ever Spoken Out?
In 2018, Audrey shed light on their family dynamic. “I think I understand about it, just like how it was surprising to people,” Audrey said in an interview with her sister, Georgia, on Australia’s Sunday Night show.
“It’s been feeling different because it’s not really been brought to our attention, just because we grew up with it, so we’re adapted to it,” she added.