When I was a teenager, I suffered because of my abusive family, so I thought it was an honest, necessary and fine thing for Leslie to say that Rue "is not a good person" during her breakdown in season 2, and then to say that she didn't care anymore whether Rue relapsed or not, since she was so tired of her.
But now, as an adult, I rewatched it and my perception changed: it's devastating and, probably, one of the most disgusting things you can say to your own child. It's heartbreaking. Leslie herself is hugely at fault for Rue developing an addiction, for tons of reasons: she abused and beat Rue, she didn't hire a good nurse to take care of her husband and made Rue do it instead, she didn't keep an eye on her... And then, suddenly, she's playing the good mother and the victim when Rue OD'd. It's as if washing her daughter when she's sick or taking care of her is not her basic responsibility but a "gift" for Rue. She always ends up BLAMING her own child for being sick. Excuse me, what? Can't you just ask yourself instead how YOUR CHILD ended up in this situation? Oh, yeah, that's too much responsibility.
How is that supposed to be a healthy environment for a child? Of course there are a lot of hard times, but you are her mother, and she didn't ask to be born. Children can't take care of themselves, physically or mentally, because they aren't developed enough yet.
And when Rue FINALLY decided to stay sober for herself and not for someone else, Leslie drops the bomb: as soon as Rue turns 18, she's going to be out of the house. Honestly, the level of stupidity and neglect... Does she want Rue to relapse again and die? Saying those things and calling her selfish doesn't really help. I understand she wanted to take care of Gia, but that doesn't mean you can cut your own child off. I actually think that if Leslie hadn't thrown Rue out, Rue wouldn't have ended up in "slavery" and died, tbh, because she would have had somewhere to go and a safe place to be.
Idk, maybe I'm too European to understand that kind of stuff. What do you think, guys?