"I Thought It Was Forever" Cast Rewind

http://www.indiegogo.com/I-Thought-It-Was-Forever?c=home

It's down to the last few hours of the fundraising campaign to finish "I Thought It Was Forever," a bold documentary about people who were married, until a spouse came out. Please log on to view the trailer and support this film with as little as $10 at; http://www.indiegogo.com/I-Thought-It-Was-Forever?c=home.

Between president Obama's recent statement in support of same-sex marriage and presumptive Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's statement defining marriage as a bond between a man and woman, comes an explosive documentary, "I Thought It Was Forever," gives an in-depth look into the lives of seven people who represent the reportedly silent two million who are too ashamed, afraid and uncomfortable to tell the uncompromised truth about how it feels to be in the middle of two worlds, gay and straight. Here's a look at three candid cast members:

Joy holds up her book "The Straight Up Truth About the Down-Low"

Joy's reunion with her high school sweetheart more than 15 years after their teenage relationship ended lead to the two dating all over again, buying their dream home and getting married. While she saw a second chance at love, a bombshell she never predicted. "When your husband cheats on you with another woman you think to yourself, 'there is still something I can do,' but when it's with another man there's nothing you can do, your mind starts thinking about all of the things he's out their doing with other men," says Joy.

Melissa reflects on the warning signs she dismissed in her 16-year marriage

Melissa is in the middle of an intense legal battle with her now ex-husband whom she alleges abused her mentally and physically. While in their late teens, the two met while working at a retail store in Texas. "I was surprised because he was really shy and when I found out he liked me, I was like 'okay, I'll see where this will go," said Melissa. After dating more than four years, Melissa said yes to the proposal she'd anticipated. "We talked a lot about marriage, so when he asked me, I knew it was going to happen, so I wasn't too surprised." What did surprise Melissa was her ex-husband's double life. 

Carolyn's road to getting to happy after  the end of her 30-year marriage is still a work-in-progress

As a college student during the early '70s Carolyn's excitement about school and romance was understandably giddy. Her focus heavily centered on being a super student but of course, when the opportunity for love and the American dream knocked, Carolyn's answer was yes. "I said yes because I didn't think anyone else would ever ask. Immediately after he asked me, he went into my parent's guest bathroom and threw up," Carolyn says, holding back tears. 

Fast-forward more than 30 years and the retired government employee isolates herself  from society as a result of how her marriage ended but spends hours online helping spouses on both sides of the same-sex secret connect with resources available through "The Straight Spouse Network."

You can find out more about Joy, Melissa, Carolyn and the entire "I Thought It Was Forever" cast at the film's Facebook page at;   https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Movie-I-Thought-It-Was-Forever/266635793379198. In previous editions on this blog, you'll find brief stories about couples who appear in "I Thought It Was Forever."

Feel free to leave a comment about this article with Maniko at NewsHeels@gmail.com

"I Thought It Was Forever" Weekly All Access Cast Rewind

Photo Courtesy of Marc

When a car crash nearly ended Marc's life, he found the courage to face what he avoided for years, at the risk of losing everything he worked hard to accomplish, his marriage, children and a happy life. "I knew I had to tell Lorraine because I realized I could have died and she'd never really know the person she married," says Marc. 


A quick glance at Lorraine in middle school was all Marc needed to know there was something special about the young woman he'd later marry. "I just looked at her and it was like seeing an angel," says Marc. Like many middle school crushes, Lorraine and Marc had a consistently inconsistent relationship. However, their connection and attraction excelled far beyond just physical, leaving room for their friendship and trust to  intensify. "We lived near each other and would meet up a lot at the mailbox and just talk about things that were going on in our lives," says Marc.

Photo Courtesy of Marc

Marc and Lorraine share their story of love gained, lost and life after the unraveling of their 16-year marriage, the result of falling out of love, Marc coming out and coming to grips with his true identity. We invite you to view the "I Thought It Was Forever" trailer at http://www.indiegogo.com/I-Thought-It-Was-Forever. 


Meet the the full "I Thought It Was Forever" cast on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Movie-I-Thought-It-Was-Forever/266635793379198.


Please leave a comment or e-mail Maniko Barthelemy directly at NewsHeels@gmail.com.