The Real-Life Couple That Inspired Beauty and the Beast

Hypertrichosis is a very rare condition in which a person grows excessive hair. It's impossible to hide, so these folks usually made a living as side show freaks. The earliest documented case was that of Petrus Gonsalvus, who was given to the king of France in the 16th century.

This video is not a deep dive into the condition, but a chronicle of man's inhumanity to man, as Gonsalvus was treated as less than human his entire life, from being locked up and fed raw meat to seeing his children taken away. This video particularly focuses on Gonsalvus' relationship with his wife Catherine, an arranged marriage that is thought to have inspired the story of Beauty and the Beast.