The Intriguing Love Saga: Unveiling Jerry Buss' Beloved Honey in Winning Time Season 2
Honey in Winning Time Season 2 is a captivating character representing the intriguing love interests of Jerry Buss With ties to both Karen Demel, mother of his two sons, and 'Puppi' Buss, Honey's role adds depth and intrigue to the storyline
WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for Winning Time season 2.
Summary
Honey Kaplan, the new love interest introduced in season 2 of Winning Time, brings back memories from Jerry Buss's previous relationship. Their connection goes deeper than being a mere former lover as it suggests a significant role in Jerry's life.
After divorcing JoAnn Mueller, Jerry Buss had two sons with Karen Demel. It is possible that the timing of Jerry's fictional rekindled romance with Honey coincides with his real-life relationship with Demel.
In HBO's Winning Time season 2, Honey Kaplan (played by Ari Graynor) is introduced as a new love interest for Jerry Buss, the owner of the Showtime Lakers. Honey is portrayed as a blast from Buss's past and their relationship is explored throughout season 2. In episode 1, Buss reminisces about his brief relationship with Honey before his fame and fortune. However, in episode 2, Buss makes a new advance and manages to charm Honey into agreeing to have dinner with him later that night.
Jerry Buss Had Two Sons With Karen Demel
Honey Kaplan may have drawn inspiration from various real-life love interests of Jerry Buss, combining elements from multiple individuals to create her character. In the series Winning Time, Honey is portrayed as either a daycare provider or a residential preschool teacher, who had not seen Buss for approximately fifteen years. Surprisingly, there seems to be no lingering animosity between them, and Honey is genuinely thrilled to reunite with him. This lasting connection between Jerry and Honey suggests that she may hold a more significant role in his life than merely being one of his past lovers.
Following the divorce of real-life Jerry Buss and his wife JoAnn Mueller, Jerry's romantic interests shifted towards Karen Demel. During the 1980s, Demel gave birth to two children, Joey and Jesse, who were fathered by Jerry. The events depicted in Winning Time, where Jerry reignites his relationship with the fictional character Honey, could be comparable to his actual relationship and subsequent marriage to Demel, although their union lasted only a brief period. It is worth noting that unlike Honey, the fictional character, the real-life Demel served as a financial supporter for Jerry, which presents a contradiction.
Jerry Buss is said to have had a long and intermittent relationship with a woman known as 'Puppi' Buss. Puppi, whose real name is Marsha Lee Osborne, asserted that she and Buss were in a husband-and-wife-like partnership for fifteen years. The parallel between the show and reality for fifteen years implies Puppi's influence in the creation of Honey. Puppi also alleged that she gave birth to one of Buss's children and filed a palimony lawsuit against the Lakers owner, which was settled for $5 million in 1990.
Winning Time’s Honey Is Likely Based On 'Puppi' Buss
The Winning Time character nicknamed Honey possibly symbolizes the real-life Puppi, especially as the show reveals early on that Honey's financial situation mirrors that of Karen Demel. By amalgamating various aspects of Jerry's actual paramours, the creators of Winning Time may have crafted the character Honey Kaplan. The nickname bestowed upon the character suggests a loose resemblance to Puppi, but if the series eventually portrays Honey and Jerry getting married, she could potentially embody Karen Demel on a deeper level.
