WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Rumor Has It: Oscar Wilde

Episode Date: March 2, 2024

Today we dive into the scandalous court case of Oscar Wilde. 

You can't believe a word she says most times, but this time it was true. Now, rumor has it, she ain't got your love. Hello, hello, and welcome to Rumor Has It. Today, we're diving into the scandalous case of Irish author Oscar Wilde. Most famous for his novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and his play, The Importance of Being Ernest, Oscar Wilde also wrote several children's stories. But that's not what we're concerned with today. Today, we're talking about his scandalous life.

Taking up the British newspapers for weeks, he was the center of a scandal when he tried to sue a British aristocrat for libel, claiming that he did not commit the indecent acts that the man had alleged. However, the problem was, all the evidence pointed to the fact that he had committed such indecent acts. The jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to two years in prison. and hard labor. These two years seem to have broken his spirit, and he died shortly after his release. While the scandalous notes of this case shocked Britain and still continue to shock,

the big question is why he would undertake a public court case in something that he was reportedly guilty of. After all, you don't usually try and prosecute someone for libel if you did the thing that they're accusing you of. Either way, this is. scandalous case rocked the nation and maybe cost us one of the greatest authors to ever live. That's a question for another time, though. Till next time, on WRFH, Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM, I'm Addie Longnecker on Rumer Hasnett.