It's true about BJK and Renee Richards- but the same is also true of Martina. Richards was actually Martin's coach for some time - 1981 to 1983 - that's not overnight. But Martina came to her senses. We should give people credit for evolving.

However, what you point out here isn't evolution, it's a stubborn insistence on "I'm right."

It so happens I know a little about the real BJK, having worked for her agent (International Management Group, "IMG") in the early 1980s, in fact, during the Marilyn Barnett crisis. I didn't work directly for her specific agent, Bob Kain, but I was there, in the NYC office, and dealt with her because they were cranking out a book to cover up after the crisis and I was working for their in-house literary agent.

I have no bad tea to spill. BJK was always a lovely person to deal with. But like most divas, it was her way or the highway. That's fine until it isn't.

One little fact about yesterday's post with respect to her denial of the Barnett affair.

You wrote: "King held a press conference in 1981 to acknowledge the affair though her management wanted her to deny it ever happened. King lost $2M in brand deals after coming out. Certainly, it wasn’t easy back then."

I could be wrong but here's my memory. BJK issued the denial on her own before anyone at IMG had the chance to reign her in. They wanted her to stay quiet - on the instructions of her lawyers. Larry, her husband, was himself a lawyer. But for whatever reason she decided to go maverick and speak to the press herself. That is what necessitated the stage-managed press conference. Because the court case was in motion which would prove that she had had a relationship with Barnett. (Barnett lost the lawsuit on legal grounds but the relationship was never in doubt.)

BTW the book IMG commissioned was written by Frank DeFord, published by Viking in 1982. Even the name of the book was a point of contention but I'll leave the story at that.