In fiction books and fairy tales, many stepmothers range from being not nice to being evil murderers. From Snow White’s envy-filled evil queen and Cinderella’s greedy Lady Tremaine, there is no shortage of these types of characters in literature. At the minimum, these villains are painted as cold, devious, and uncaring. A great example of this is Lady Tremaine, who forces Cinderella into back-breaking labour while encouraging her biological children to verbally abuse their stepsister.

Today, stepmothers are often thought of in a less favourable light than any other family member. People make presumptions that they are less affectionate, unfair, and at times hateful. Although blended families do face challenges and conflict that could reinforce some of these stereotypes, no evidence supports the idea of a wicked stepmother. Research shows that stepmothers provide extra love and support for their stepchildren. But the women that we are talking about today embrace the evil stereotype.

So light a candle and turn out the lights, my spooky friends. You are going to hear about some mothers who redefine the term of evil stepmother. But be aware, today we will be talking about child abuse and murder. Listener discretion is advised.

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To hear more stories about horrible family members, listen to our episode called The Real Story Behind the Movie 'The Orphan', click here.