Guy has been at least been privately documented as an asshole for decades.
During his dance at his first wedding reception, he informed his wife that he was the "alpha".
When his infant son died in 2002, he largely ignored it and said his wife being in pain over their baby dying was just her being "emotionally manipulative".
He constantly demanded her to act and look a certain way, and berated her for being a bad wife.
He was not a better person back then, he just had a more carefully curated online and media presence. His ego has brought him to the point of dropping all pretense.
You can't just keep assuming the best of someone acting badly and hope that support and understanding will bring the person around.