Yoko Ono: John Lennon's Killer Is Still Dangerous

Mark David Chapman, who killed John Lennon in 1980, was last year denied parole for the eighth time; he and his wife reportedly wrote to Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, asking for forgiveness. But, in an extensive interview with the Daily Beast, Ono says Chapman should never be free. "He did it once, he could do it again, to somebody else—you know. It could be me, it could be [her son with Lennon] Sean, it could be anybody, so there is that concern," she says. If he were to be released, "I would be concerned," she says. "I said he’s crazy, but probably not—probably he had a purpose he wanted to accomplish like ‘Kill John Lennon.’ So he might have another purpose. He’s not the kind of person who’s… I don’t think he’s just doing it emotionally. There is a reason, whether a simple reason or not, to do what he does, and justify it. So that’s very scary.” More highlights from the nearly 4,000-word article:

• On her home: The 82-year-old Ono still lives at the Dakota, even though Lennon was shot outside the Manhattan apartment building. She's "never" thought about moving, she says. "We shared this every day. Every day we shared each room. I wouldn’t do that. ... The good memory supersedes the bad memory. The bad memory was just one that was terrible. But other than that, I felt we were still together. I would feel very strange if I had to leave this apartment. There are so many things that he touched here that he loved. Those things mean a lot."
• On her iconic sunglasses: She remembers buying her first pair, at Saks Fifth Avenue with Lennon. "The word privacy comes to me," she says. "Like the arm’s-length relationship I can have with people."
• On sexuality: "John and I had a big talk about it, saying, basically, all of us must be bisexual. And we were sort of in a situation of thinking that we’re not [bisexual] because of society. So we are hiding the other side of ourselves, which is less acceptable. But I don’t have a strong sexual desire towards another woman." As for Lennon, "I think he had a desire to [have sex with other men], but I think he was too inhibited. No, not inhibited. He said, ‘I don’t mind if there’s an incredibly attractive guy.’ It’s very difficult: They would have to be not just physically attractive, but mentally very advanced too. And you can’t find people like that."

Click for the complete piece, which was published in advance of Ono receiving a "Icon" award at the UK's Attitude Awards Wednesday. (More Yoko Ono stories.)