Attorney Michael Avenatti has posted $50,000 bail and vowed to be exonerated following an arrest for domestic violence in Los Angeles on ...
Attorney Michael Avenatti has posted $50,000 bail and vowed to be exonerated following an arrest for domestic violence in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Earlier on Wednesday, an unidentified woman filed a criminal complaint against the lawyer with authorities in Los Angeles.
The alleged incident took place on Tuesday at an apartment in the Century City section of Los Angeles.
Law enforcement sources said that the woman's face was 'swollen and bruised' when she submitted her complaint to authorities, according to TMZ.
Aventti's estranged wife, Lisa Storie, was initially said to be the alleged victim of the attack, but she denied any incident took place and defended her former husband.
Storie told CNN: 'I haven’t see Michael in months. It’s a complete fabrication. Bruises on my face? It is insanity. He wouldn’t hit anybody. Especially a woman. He’s got two daughters'
Speaking outside the LAPD’s Pacific Division Station after his release on bail, Avenatti, who is porn star Stormy Daniels' lawyer, said: ‘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 will continue to be an advocate.
Michael Avenatti, the attorney for Stormy Daniels, has reportedly been arrested for domestic violence. Avenatti is seen above speaking to the press after being released from custody on Wednesday following his arrest in Los Angeles
‘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. I also want to thank everyone for their support that has reached out. You know my character, you know me as a man and I appreciate it. Thank you.’
Sources told TMZ that the duo had another confrontation on Wednesday.
The unnamed woman was seen Wednesday running out of the apartment and screaming into her cell phone while wearing sunglasses to conceal the alleged bruises on her face.
'I can't believe you did this to me,' she reportedly yelled into the phone.
Security guards then led the woman back inside the building, according to TMZ.
Five minutes later, Avenatti showed up and ran into the building, chasing after her.
'She hit me first,' Avenatti is reported to have said repeatedly.
'This is bulls***, this is f***ing bulls***,' he angrily said.
Investigators told TMZ that Avenatti kicked the woman out of his apartment on Tuesday, which was when the alleged incident took place.
She then returned to the apartment on Wednesday to retrieve her things and asked police to wait nearby in case things escalated.
Avenatti was booked on Wednesday night and released on $50,000 bail. He has been barred from going near his alleged victim, who obtained an emergency protective order.
Outside the police station he said: ‘I’m going to make this very brief and very succinct. First of all I want to thank the hard working men and women for their professionalism and their work today. They had no option in light of the allegations.'
Speaking from the back of a Range Rover that drove him away from the police station, Avenatti told DailyMail.com the charge against him is ‘completely bogus’.
‘I would love to comment on it and I’m looking forward to the truth coming out,’ he said.
Avenatti released a statement after his arrest on Wednesday denying the allegationsAvenatti later tweeted: 'Thank you to everyone who has reached out with supportive messages and offers of assistance'
Avenatti posted another tweet late Wednesday, saying: 'I want to be clear: I DID NOT commit domestic violence nor have I ever committed domestic violence'
Avenatti later tweeted: '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.'
Avenatti posted another tweet late Wednesday, saying: 'I want to be clear: I DID NOT commit domestic violence nor have I ever committed domestic violence.
'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.'
According to the LAPD the incident occurred near the 10,000 block of Santa Monica Blvd. Officers took a police report, and Avenatti was arrested at 2.05pm at the same address Wednesday.
He has now been booked and charged with 273.5APC intimate partner violence.
‘It was an altercation between him and a victim,’ the LAPD spokesman said, but refused to confirm the identity of the woman or details of the alleged violence.
‘We don’t give those kind of details out because it’s domestic violence. We don’t want to prevent future victims coming forward by releasing this kind of information.
‘The court hearing will be given out by the District Attorney’s office.’
Initial reports indicated that the woman in question was Lisa Storie, Avenatti's estranged wife.
Avenatti filed for divorce from Storie last year. In court paper, Stories described her estranged husband as 'emotionally abusive', 'hot-tempered' and 'angry and vindictive'.
But she released a statement on Wednesday saying she was not involved in the alleged incident.
'I have known Michael Avenatti for over 26 years we met when he was 21 years old and we were married for 13 years,' she tweeted late Wednesday. 'Michael has ALWAYS been a kind loving father to our two daughters and husband to me. He has NEVER been abusive to me or anyone else. He is a good man'
She also defended Avenatti, describing him as someone who would never hit a woman.
'I haven’t see Michael in months,' Storie told CNN.
'It’s a complete fabrication.
'Bruises on my face? It is insanity. He wouldn’t hit anybody. Especially a woman.
'He’s got two daughters.'
Avenatti has denied the charges.
'I have never been physically abusive in my life nor was I last night,' the lawyer said on Wednesday.
'Any accusations to the contrary are fabricated and meant to do harm to my reputation. I look forward to being fully exonerated.'
Storie's lawyer released a statement which read: 'My client and I have reviewed the TMZ article alleging that my client, Lisa Storie-Avenatti, has been injured and that Michael Avenatti has been arrested as a result of some incident that occurred between them.
‘This article is not true as it pertains to my client.
‘Ms. Storie-Avenatti was not subject to any such incident on Tuesday night.
‘Further, she was not at Mr. Avenatti’s apartment on the date that this alleged incident occurred.
‘My client states that there has never been domestic violence in her relationship with Michael and that she has never known Michael to be physically violent toward anyone.
‘My client requests that the media respect her privacy and that of the parties’ young son.’
Avenatti's first wife, Christine Avenatti Carlin, also defended her ex-husband on Twitter.
'I have known Michael Avenatti for over 26 years we met when he was 21 years old and we were married for 13 years,' she tweeted late Wednesday.
'Michael has ALWAYS been a kind loving father to our two daughters and husband to me.
'He has NEVER been abusive to me or anyone else. He is a good man.'
Avenatti became famous as Stormy Daniels’ lawyer and pursued the president and those close to him relentlessly for months, taunting Trump in interviews and baiting him and his lawyers in tweets.
Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, has said she had an affair with Trump in 2006 and has sued to invalidate the confidentiality agreement she signed days before the 2016 presidential election that prevents her discussing it.
She also sued Trump and his personal attorney, Michael Cohen, alleging defamation.
The Vermont Democratic Party canceled events planned for Friday and Saturday, where Avenatti was scheduled to speak, and is refunding ticket sales.
Alyssa Milano, the Charmed actress and liberal political activist who has appeared with Avenatti at anti-Trump rallies, said she is disavowing the lawyer after news broke of his arrest
Alyssa Milano, the Charmed actress and liberal political activist who has appeared with Avenatti at anti-Trump rallies, said she is disavowing the lawyer after news broke of his arrest.
'Totally disgusting,' the Who's The Boss star tweeted on Wednesday in response to the original report of Avenatti's arrest.
'And before anyone asks me, yes, I’m disavowing Avenatti. I do not care what side he’s on.'
She ended the tweet with the hashtag #basta, which is the hashtag that Avenatti frequently uses on his Twitter posts about Trump.
Basta is Spanish for 'enough.'
avasnooti believes in giving women rights...and lefts hahahah what a joke
ReplyDeleteThe woman must be believed. So string him up.
ReplyDeleteIt’s rumored that Mr. Smut, beat one of his filthy whores half to death.
ReplyDeleteHe did beat the hell outta his ex wife....she didn't just walk into a doorknob you know....
ReplyDelete