A few weeks back, I wrote about Paulina Gretzky and Dustin Johnson’s relationship drama, which was made public when she removed his photos from her Instagram feed, then heated up when he posted about it on Twitter.
Why my continued interest in these two lukewarm bowls of oatmeal? Because sports gossip is really, really good. Even people who don’t follow sports (like me) can appreciate that golf led us to one of the biggest sports scandals ever with Tiger Woods. Think about that: a game that is widely regarded as pretty boring to watch gave us the modern mistress prototype, Rachel Uchitel (and the 150 other women that followed). It’s an interesting juxtaposition.
Post-Instagram and Twitter drama, Paulina was with Dustin in Atlanta last week; she posted a story about it on Instagram, because she wanted people to know she was there. Aquariums can be very dark, and the video was poor quality – Paulina knows how to find her light and her angles, which makes me think she was sending a message. (Maybe, “I’m here, bitch”?)
Now she’s in France for the Ryder Cup – it’s a tradition for the players’ partners to attend with them (which is why they took the formal shot where all of the women look like they are wearing gowns from the Real Housewives reunion line of couture). Paulina’s attendance has not gone unnoticed, and several media outlets are framing it as a reconciliation.
Judging by the handholding, they must be back together in some form. But are they solid? Paulina hasn’t reinstated Dustin to a place of pride on her Instagram; he is still banished from the photo feed. They are adults with two children, whatever spurred the breakup must have been major, so could they have fully reconciled this quickly?
If they wanted to work things out privately, right now would be the best time as everyone is obsessed with Tiger Woods’s comeback. But they don’t want to lay low; she wants him to take her picture in full view of the paps. Paulina wants to shine and you know what? She should. As a golfer, Dustin has gained a lot of fame from this relationship (and for athletes, more fame equals more endorsements). She makes him more interesting to a broader audience, period.
As gross as it may be, for Paulina and many WAGS, their value and the way they are treated is so tied into who they are married to. Wives of athletes are expected to be unconditionally supportive, flexible, patient and, when needed, forgiving because they will be told “that’s the life you signed up for.” Well you know what life Dustin signed up for? Taking multiple shots of Paulina as she poses at Versailles. Fair is fair.
