Source: Broadwell Is 'Unhinged,' Has 'Mental Problems' & Kelley Saw Her E-mails as 'Death Threats

If you thought the scandal surrounding Gen. David Petraeus' affair couldn't get any more bizarre, prepare to be debunked. New alleged details about the e-mails that the general's biographer and mistress Paula Broadwell sent to socialite Jill Kelley have emerged, painting a far more sinister portrayal of their contents than was previously reported.

In an interview with The New York Daily News, a close friend of Kelley said that the messages appeared to be rantings of an individual who is "clearly unhinged." According to the source, the e-mails apparently pledged to make Kelley "go away," while also touting Broadwell's military experience and her high-ranking friends.

This combo made from file photos shows Gen. David Petraeus' biographer and paramour Paula Broadwell, left, and Florida socialite Jill Kelley. Broadwell and Kelley, the two women at the center of David Petraeus' downfall as CIA director, visited the White House separately on various occasions in what appear to be unrelated calls that did not result in meetings with President Barack Obama. Credit: AP

While these claims are mere allegations, if true, they shed additional light on the reasons why Kelley felt compelled to take the e-mails to FBI Special Agent Frederick Humphries. According to the individual who spoke with the Daily News, the socialite viewed Broadwell's messages as death threats -- particularly one in which Broadwell promised to make Kelley "go away."

"This wasn’t just a catfight," the friend explained. "Any normal person who got emails like that would have immediately called the police."

Paula Broadwell gets into her vehicle on Lexington Avenue in Charlotte, N.C., Monday, Nov. 19, 2012. Broadwell returned home to Charlotte on Sunday after she spent more than a week being hounded by media while staying at her brother's home in Washington. Broadwell is telling friends she is devastated by the fallout from her extramarital affair with retired Gen. David Petraeus, which led to his resignation as head of the CIA. Credit: AP

While Broadwell sent the e-mails anonymously, authorities eventually traced them back to her, also discovering her affair with Petraeus in the process. As for the source commenting about the tone of the e-mails, she doubled down on the fear that Kelley felt, defending her decision to report the perceived threats. Kelley, she maintains, feared for her life.

"This wasn't just a case of cyber-bullying. [Kelley] was scared for her life," the source explained. "She had reason to be. These emails are the real thing. When she read them to me, I literally had the shivers."

The friend went as far as to tell reporters that Broadwell "has serious mental problems" and that "she needs to be behind bars before she hurts someone."

(H/T: NY Daily News)

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Related:

• Petraeus Mistress Reportedly ‘Devastated’ & ‘Deeply Regrets’ Affair’s Damage to Her Family
• SNL: ‘Paula Broadwell’ Gives an Awkward & Explicit Reading of Her Petraeus Book
• Jill Kelley Visited the White House 3 Times This Year — Including 5 Days Before Petraeus Resigned