Katie Couric interviews 'runaway bride'

When she returned to Georgia, Jennifer Wilbanks got some sympathy, but also faced tremendous anger. The media pursuit continued.

Wilbanks: I more or less just shut down. I went back to my parents' house, went down into the basement, and stayed there. I didn't want to see anybody. I asked my parents not to allow even my brother to come in and see me. I really shut down.

And it was during that time that I knew that I was going to -- I needed help and I was going to have to absolutely get help. I couldn't fight these battles anymore by myself.

To the amazement of millions, Jennifer's fiancé, John Mason, who was put through the wringer in the bizarre episode, still wanted to be at her side. John, who says he is thinking of becoming a preacher one day, went with her to court when she pleaded no contest to lying to police about her fabricated abduction. They had been reunited a few days after she got home:

Wilbanks: And I wanted to say so much. But I couldn't say anything at all. I don't think I did say anything to him.  We just hugged one another. I was crying. He said, "Are you okay?" And I said no, but I will be. 

At an undisclosed location near Atlanta, Jennifer is now undergoing in-patient psychiatric treatment, but was given a weekend pass, during which she sat down for this interview. She says she's finally confronting issues that threatened to destroy her.

Couric: You, meanwhile, John, asked Jennifer to marry you all over again, didn't you, when she came back? I mean, you never wavered in your commitment to her.

Mason: Never even thought twice about it.

Couric: You didn't think, whoa, wait a second. My fiancée just split on me. There's a wedding planned for 600 people. She's in a Greyhound bus traveling around the country. She makes up this cockamamie story about being kidnapped. You didn't for one second say, hmm, hold on, maybe this isn't the girl for me?

Mason: Not really, no. When she got back, we talked about alright, what do we do now? I said, "Well, you got to get some help, first and foremost." Maybe we will get married one day. But we don't know the answer to that question yet.

Couric: Would you like to? Are you hoping to? Are you--

Mason: Very much.

Couric: --waiting to see what happens?

Mason: Well very much, that's what we want.

Wilbanks: We hope to.  We just—

Mason: Yeah.

Couric: Maybe a justice of the peace this time?

Mason: Right.

Wilbanks: We'll play it by ear.

Mason: Yeah.

Wilbanks: I don't want to give myself to John until I feel like I'm the right person for him. And right now, I don't.

Jennifer says her treatment, which has been going on for six weeks now,  will help her understand how a seemingly happy bride-to-be would disappear without a word  days before the wedding and take off on a Grey hound bus:

Couric: I guess the question everyone wants to know the answer to is a very simple one. Why?

Wilbanks: Honestly, I wish I could give you and everybody else that answer. Because I know that they want to hear that.  And they deserve to hear that.  But I honestly, I don't know.

All Jennifer can say for sure right now is that this was much more serious than just a bride-to-be panicking about wedding plans.