Injustice for Dominique Dunne
Dominique Dunne was twenty-one years old in 1981 when she met John Sweeney at a party. Sweeney was seven years her senior and the attraction was instant. Sadly, rather than leading to love and marriage, it led to violence and death.
The petite Dominique, daughter of writer and movie producer Dominick Dunne, sister to actor Griffin Dunne and niece to authors Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne, seemed destined to make it in the celebrity soaked world of Los Angeles. By comparison, the athletic Sweeney grew up in a Pennsylvania coal town, the son of an alcoholic who frequently watched his father beat his mother.
Both were creative types; Dominique was an actress with a handful of roles under her belt while John was chef assistant to Wolfgang Puck at the trendy and glamorous Ma Maison restaurant. On the surface, they made a good match. Both loved Europe, animals (Dominique was very much an animal rescuer) and cooking. Her diminutive size contrasted nicely to his just over six foot frame. Both were ambitious. Sweeney however desperately wanted to fit into the elegant world of L.A. and Hollywood he saw nightly at Ma Maison. Dominique gave him entry into that world.
The two moved into a rented house together within weeks of meeting. What should have been an exciting and romantic time quickly turned ugly for Dominique. She found out that Sweeney was…