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Michael Avenatti Denies Domestic Violence Allegations Following Arrest
“I have never struck a woman. I never will strike a woman,” the famed attorney reportedly said following his arrest.
Just a day after reports surfaced that he was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence, attorney and consistent Donald Trump critic Michael Avenatti has vehemently denied the allegations against him.
Avenatti was taken into custody on Wednesday and booked on a felony charge of “domestic violence with visible injury,” police told the New York Times.
The famed attorney is alleged to have left a woman with visible injuries on her face following an altercation in an apartment building in Los Angeles earlier this week, TMZ reports.
He was released later that day after posting $50,000 bail, and is scheduled to appear in court on December 5, according to the Times.
The attorney denied the allegations against him in a press conference held soon after his release on Wednesday, during which he expressed confidence that he would be “fully exonerated,” the Times reports.
“I have never struck a woman. I never will strike a woman. I have been an advocate for women’s rights my entire career, and I’m going to continue to be an advocate,” he said. “I am not going to be intimidated from stopping what I am doing. I am a father to two beautiful, smart daughters. I would never disrespect them by touching a woman inappropriately or striking a woman. I am looking forward to a full investigation, at which point I am confident that I will be fully exonerated.”
A statement released by Avenatti’s law office called the claims against him “completely bogus,” according to the Washington Post.
“I wish to thank the hard working men and women of the LAPD for their professionalism,” the statement reportedly reads. “I have never been physically abusive in my life nor was I last night. Any accusations to the contrary are fabricated and meant to do harm to my reputation. I look forward to being fully exonerated.”
Avenatti continued to defend himself in a statement on Twitter posted early Thursday morning.
“I want to be clear: I DID NOT commit domestic violence nor have I ever committed domestic violence,” the tweet reads. “I did not strike any woman nor have I ever. I did not strike my ex-wife in the face nor did I hit anyone else in the face. I am a decent man & I look forward to being exonerated.”
Avenatti also doubled down on his commitment to equality, writing in another tweet, “Thank you to everyone who has reached out with supportive messages and offers of assistance. It means the world to me. I have always been an advocate of women’s rights and equality & I always will be. I will not be intimidated into stopping my pursuit of justice and what is right.”
TMZ previously reported that the woman involved in the confrontation with Avenatti was an “estranged wife,” prompting two women who used to be married to Avenatti — Christine Avenatti Carlin and Dianne Gallagher — to both defend their ex-husband, with Carlin calling him a “good man” and Gallagher describing the domestic violence allegations as a “complete fabrication.”
Avenatti became well-known earlier this year by defending Stormy Daniels (born Stephanie Clifford), the adult film actress who claims to have had an affair with Donald Trump that she was later paid to keep under wraps, and he reiterated his stance as a supporter of women's right while speaking to reporters.
[Photo Credit: Getty Images]
