ABSTRACT
On a 2010 episode of Maury, we are introduced to a paternity narrative involving Rita and Craig who have been friends since they were 13 years old (Povich 2010). Craig is the godfather of Rita’s oldest child. Their friendship turned to romance, and then the romance soured. Now they are on Maury because Craig denies paternity of Rita’s two-year-old son. During the course of the segment, Rita pleads, ‘My son needs shoes. My son needs clothes. Christmas comin’ up. He just had a birthday. Where were you?’ A few moments later, Craig is asked whether he’s seen his son. Craig replies, ‘I told her I was going to come by, and I was gonna pick him up. Once I saw him, I picked him up and set him right back down. And I was gone. And I was gone, Maury. I was gone’.
