Michael Avenatti, the attorney / carnival barker who represents aging porn star Stormy Daniels in her legal battles against President Donald Trump, was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence in Los Angeles, police said.
The alleged domestic battery occurred Tuesday when Avenatti “kicked [the victim] out of the apartment” according to a law enforcement source, and a report was taken. Avenatti was arrested Wednesday by officers with the West Los Angeles station.
LAPD has already obtained an emergency protective order, prohibiting Avenatti from going near the alleged victim. They will serve him with the paperwork before he’s released from custody on a $50,000 bond.
A report against Avenatti regarding the alleged encounter was filed by his estranged wife, Lisa Storie-Avenatti, TMZ initially reported, citing law enforcement sources.
However, TMZ has backtracked on claims that the victim was Avenatti’s wife, writing: “We were initially told by our sources the alleged victim was Avenatti’s estranged wife. We now know it was not. The incident involved a different woman.”
In any case, while details of the allegations against Avenatti were not immediately disclosed by law enforcement TMZ’s report goes like this:
We’re told her face was “swollen and bruised” with “red marks” on both cheeks.
Our sources say the alleged incident occurred Tuesday night, but there was another confrontation Wednesday between the two at an exclusive apartment building in the Century City area of L.A.
We’re told Wednesday afternoon the woman was on the sidewalk on her cellphone with sunglasses covering her eyes, sobbing and screaming on the phone, “I can’t believe you did this to me. I’m going to get a restraining order against you.”
We’re told security brought her inside the building, took her upstairs and Michael showed up 5 minutes later, and ran into the building. He screamed repeatedly, “She hit me first.” We’re told he angrily added, “This is bulls***, this is f***ing bulls***.” We’re told he tried getting into the elevator but security denied him access.
Cops showed up and escorted Avenatti into a corner of the apartment lobby and spoke with him for 5 to 10 minutes, and then took him into custody.
Avenatti remained in custody Wednesday afternoon.
In May, Lisa Storie-Avenatti criticized media reports that claim they are already legally separated.
“Everyone reports we are divorced. That does not help my goal to get a divorce,” she said. “Can you imagine divorcing him?” she added.
I’m kind of a big deal
Avenatti, 47, represents Daniels in her effort to void a nondisclosure agreement she signed with Trump while he was running for president in 2016. The agreement was over a payment she received to keep quiet about an alleged affair the two had a decade earlier.
The attorney also got involved in the battle over Brett Kavanugh‘s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court when he represented a client who alleged inappropriate sexual conduct by the nominee. His involvement has led to at least two criminal referrals to the Department of Justice by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley.
Avenatti has also discussed the possibility of running for president in 2020. However, a recent poll reveal that Avenatti is the choice of 0% of Democrats as their 2020 presidential nominee.
READ:
3 Responses