Chicago groom countersues letigious bride

Remember this story about the bride who called the wedding off via lawsuit? Vito Salerno, the groom, is countersuing for the cost of the $45,500, 3-carat engagement ring that he says she refuses to return.

From the article (it reads more like a trashy joke novel):
Dominique Buttitta, the former bride, an attorney who works in Hoffman Estates, filed a breach of promise suit Dec. 11 in Cook County. She claimed Vito Salerno, of Barrington, left her holding the bag for a $30,000 banquet hall, $10,000 in live music, a $5,000 wedding gown and $11,000 for flowers, lighting and other expenses.

Salerno’s suit, filed Thursday, claims he kicked in $15,000 for the wedding. Salerno also paid toward pre-Cana Catholic wedding counseling [worked like a charm!], flower girls’ dresses, the honeymoon and other expenses, his suit says. Salerno’s filing claims he was "intentionally" kept in the dark about other wedding expenses and that interference from the bride’s family contributed to the breakup.

The Bride that wasn't. She looks intense!

Buttitta’s father allegedly turned thumbs down on his request that the couple’s first dance be to “Never Gonna Be Alone” by Nickelback [oh, the irony]. “You don’t want that song . . . that is a song played at a VFW hall,” her father said, according to the suit. The bride’s aunt also allegedly chimed in that the song was not “classy” enough.

The suit also claimed Salerno felt pressured to buy the pricey ring, believing that “Dominique expected a large ring because Dominique’s mother has an 8-carat ring which Dominique’s family refers to as ‘Rocky.’ ”

Buttitta’s family pressured Salerno to sign a prenuptial agreement and repeatedly brought up the matter even after he refused, according to the suit. After one refusal, the suit claims his bride-to-be hit him and stated, “You are f------ me over right now.”

A few days before the wedding, Buttitta allegedly told Salerno she would have nothing to do with his family after the wedding.

Another blow to the relationship, according to Salerno’s suit, occurred when his bride allegedly told him she had been treated for severe depression at the Mayo Clinic and was on medication. Earlier, Salerno claimed, Buttitta had told him she got a clean bill of health.

Salerno also claimed that Buttitta pressured him to provide details of who was present and what happened at the bachelor party at the Pink Monkey. When Salerno relented and told her about lap dances and that her brother and her sister’s boyfriend were present, “she spent more than a half-hour screaming and berating [Salerno].’’

Neither the bride nor groom, nor their attorneys, could be reached late Friday.

WOW. Just...wow.

xo,

Kay Banks