It Starts With "I've Never Felt This Way" — How Coercive Control Built the McKee-Tepe Trap

Nobody walks into an abusive relationship knowing what it is. The early phase feels like healing — someone finally seeing you, choosing you, making you the center of their world. The attention is overwhelming. The affection is constant. And by the time the walls go up, you're already inside them.

This episode examines the mechanics of coercive control escalation through the lens of the McKee-Tepe case. How love bombing targets real emotional needs. How attention becomes surveillance. How the public mask of success shields private abuse. And why the question "didn't you see the red flags?" places blame on the wrong person.

Michael McKee's public profile showed a National Merit Scholar, a decorated surgeon, and a man with zero criminal history. According to witnesses, the private allegations tell a different story entirely. That gap between public and private is how coercive control operates — and why victims can't get anyone to believe them.

If you've ever blamed yourself for trusting someone who turned out to be dangerous — this episode is for you.

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This publication contains commentary and opinion based on publicly available information. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Nothing published here should be taken as a statement of fact, health or legal advice.

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