A woman who has splashed out $200,000 (£134,000) in the past 10 years on her puppets has revealed how her fiance made her choose between him and them.
Ventriloquist April Brucker, who lives in New York City, broke up with her partner after he gave her the ultimatum – and she picked the dummies.
According to Dailymail,the 30-year-old revealed that she considers her 16 puppets – who even have their own bedroom – to be her children, and she lives alone with them in her apartment.She buys the puppets clothes, airfares – and dreams of touring the world with them.
‘They are like my children,’ she said. ‘Yes, they are expensive, but if they need things, they need things.’I will go without clothes for them. I’m a parent – that’s what you do.
She said her relationship failed when her fiancé – who she doesn’t want to name – said her dolls were ‘weird’.
I’m from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,’ she said. ‘We met in New York City.’I was not allowed to date growing up. My parents were strict and when I met him I fell in love.’He became my boyfriend. He was very romantic.’After their third date he proposed. ‘My parents were engaged after their third date,’ she said. ‘And they’ve been together 40 years.’He got down on one knee. I thought he was the one.
He started becoming jealous of the puppets after four months,’ she admitted. ‘He started saying the puppets were weird.
‘He said, “no wife of mine will ever have a puppet”. Ultimately he felt jealous by the puppets.’That is when he gave her an ultimatum.’He said, “It’s me or the puppets”,’ she said. ‘I wanted to be with him, so I stayed with him.’But after eight more months, I realised I had to stay with my puppets.
In the end, my puppet children are all I have. They have never disappointed me. Like men have.”They have their own room,’ she said. ‘They are like my family. We all do shows together.’Sometimes I think, “yes, I dumped my boyfriend for a puppet”.But then I think, “puppets are better”. I love my puppets.’
She said she could not date a man who did not appreciate her puppets.
‘I spend so much on them after all,’ she said. ‘I spend $20,000 (around £14,000) a year on them.’That’s for clothes, airfares, hair. I’ve been doing that for about ten years.”My dream is to tour the world with my children.’I might not have love with a man but I have 16 children and they need me.
