‘I have never hit a woman’: Michael Avenatti protests his innocence as he is freed on $50,000 bail after domestic violence arrest that left woman with ‘swollen and bruised face’
- A woman filed criminal complaint against Michael Avenatti
- Avenatti is said to have kicked woman out of an LA apartment on Tuesday
- She was reportedly seen with sunglasses and screaming into her phone
- Avenatti ‘claims woman struck him first’ during altercation
- In a statement, Avenatti denies the charges, saying he has ‘never been physically abusive’
- Avenatti’s estranged wife, Lisa Storie, was initially reported to be alleged victim
- But she denied any incident took place and defended Avenatti
- In recent weeks, Avenatti reportedly has been mulling 2020 run for White House
Michael Avenatti, the attorney for a porn actress who claims she was paid hush money to keep silent about an alleged affair with Donald Trump, 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.
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
Law enforcement sources told TMZ that the woman’s face was ‘swollen and bruised’ when she submitted her complaint to authorities. Avenatti is seen above leaving the Los Angeles Police Department Pacific Division after posting bail on Wednesday
Avenatti was released from police custody after posting $50,000 bail on Wednesday
He was met by a large contingent of reporters gathered outside the police station in Culver City
Avenatti released a statement after his arrest on Wednesday denying the allegations
Avenatti gained fame from his work with Daniels (seen left with the attorney in Hollywood, California this past May)
Law enforcement sources said that the woman’s face was ‘swollen and bruised’ when she submitted her complaint to authorities, according to TMZ.
Sources told TMZ that the couple 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.
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‘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.
He is reported to be in police custody.
Avenatti will reportedly be released on $50,000 bail. He has also been barred from going near his alleged victim, who obtained an emergency protective order.
Initial reports indicated that the woman in question was Lisa Storie, Avenatti’s estranged wife. But she released a statement saying she was not involved
‘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 was booked on Wednesday night and bail has been set at $50,000.
Speaking outside the LAPD’s Pacific Division Station Avenatti 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.
‘Secondly 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.
‘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.’
Speaking from the back of a Range Rover that drove him away from the 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.
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.
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 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.
‘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.’
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