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Key points
- The movie "Split" portrayed a character with dissociative identity disorder who had 23 alters.
- Mental health professionals were dismayed by the negative stereotypes in the movie.
- Genuine DID sufferers were upset that it suggested they were violent, a fact not supported by any research.
As a forensic psychologist, I've encountered my share of complex and unsettling criminal cases. I’ve also witnessed the emotional struggles of genuine sufferers of mental illness. But the recent conviction of Joseph Head stands out as a particularly chilling example of how pop culture, psychological manipulation, and sexual violence can tragically intertwine. This case is infuriating not only because of the torment his victim suffered but also because he faked a diagnosable mental illness to hurt someone.
Head, a 25-year-old from Epsom, U.K., developed a dark fascination with the film Split, a movie depicting a young man named Kevin who has dissociative identity disorder (formerly known as multiple personality disorder) with 23 alter egos. The plot involves several of his “alters” conspiring to kidnap and hold three innocent young women captive for “The Beast,” a terrifyingly violent criminal alter who has superhuman strength and uncontrollable rage. You know watching the movie that nothing good is going to happen when he shows up.
The movie was heavily criticized by the mental health community for its reliance on harmful stereotypes about mental illness and violence, not to mention its portrayal of individuals with dissociative identity disorder as potentially dangerous. But moviegoers loved it. Head, however, took his cinematic obsession to an extremely disturbing level in real life.
From Movie Drama to Real-Life Manipulation
Over three months, Head systematically manipulated a young woman into believing he suffered from multiple personalities. He crafted elaborate notes on his phone detailing the names and traits of these supposed alters. Most menacingly, he told his victim that a violent alter ego named "J" would emerge and harm her if she refused sex with Head. Terrified and intimidated, the victim complied.
Head's cruel deception ran so deep that he once faked an overdose, claiming his alters had forced him to attempt suicide. But like his feigned psychiatric condition, toxicology tests revealed this as a ruse.
The trauma Head’s victim experienced finally reached a breaking point, and she contacted the police. This set in motion an intensive investigation involving digital forensics of thousands of texts, witness accounts, and expert medical analysis of Head's psychiatric claims and overdose stunt. The picture that emerged was of a very dangerous predator who used twisted role-play and threats to repeatedly rape a vulnerable woman incapable of true consent under such duress.
Faking Mental Illness Is Harder Than You May Think
I've seen my share of malingering—criminals faking or exaggerating mental illness in an attempt to avoid, or mitigate, a lengthy prison sentence. Their back is up against the wall; the amount of evidence against them is overwhelming and their only chance, they believe, is to admit guilt but blame it on a severe mental health disorder in the hopes that the jury will either send them to a forensic psychiatric hospital instead of prison or give them a lighter sentence. They rarely succeed.
But the elaborate, sustained nature of Head's DID charade, and the diabolical motive behind it, truly sets him apart. The planning, the props, and the sheer audacity to maintain this act and terrorize his victim make him a true outlier in the rogues’ gallery of rapists.
Fortunately, Mr. Head learned that people watching a movie are much more likely to suspend disbelief than your average juror, judge, or mental health professional. The criminal investigation yielded a mound of evidence against Mr. Head. A psychiatrist concluded that Mr. Head’s “multiple personalities” were a work of fiction and found no evidence of actual DID. And a juror of his peers was not impressed by his acting ability either, convicting him of three counts of rape and one of sexual assault.
The End of the Story
Mr. Head was sentenced to eight years behind bars. He will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life. These facts do not erase the trauma his victim experienced, but perhaps she feels some measure of justice.
But some larger issues remain. What drives someone to construct such a sinister con? How can vulnerable victims be armed against psychological manipulation from predatory partners? And do films like Split, though fictional, provide a dangerous template for would-be abusers?
Increased awareness of the realities behind rare disorders like DID is crucial to combat myths and stereotypes. But most vital of all is empowering victims to come forward, be heard, and fight back against attempts to distort their reality. It takes a crystal-clear perception to split fact from fiction when perpetrators hide behind the claim of a fractured psyche.
The most dangerous deceptions rely on silence. By blowing the whistle, courageous survivors like this young woman turn the tables on manipulators, exposing them as the abusers they are. And, by doing so, it reminds us that there is always hope and help beyond the shadows and masks predators hide behind.
