Michael Avenatti, the lawyer representing Stormy Daniels in her legal battle against President Trump, was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of felony domestic violence.
We can confirm that today LAPD Detectives arrested Michael Avenatti on suspicion of domestic violence. This is an ongoing investigation and we will provide more details as they become available.
— LAPD HQ (@LAPDHQ) November 15, 2018
[New: Michael Avenatti: Allegation of domestic violence ‘completely bogus’]
TMZ initially reported Avenatti’s estranged wife Lisa Storie-Avenatti filed a complaint with the Los Angeles Police Department on Wednesday that alleged an altercation at a Century City apartment building the day before left her with serious face injuries, but Storie-Avenatti, through her attorney, said it wasn’t true in a statement to BuzzFeed News.
“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,” the statement said. “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.”
According to the TMZ report, which has since been updated, Avenatti, 47, alleged that “she hit me first.”
In a statement released Wednesday evening, Avenatti denied the allegations, calling them “completely bogus.”
New statement from @MichaelAvenatti via his law office: “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.” pic.twitter.com/f2fnThdt7O
— Ruby Cramer (@rubycramer) November 15, 2018
Avenatti is now in custody awaiting a police booking, according to the Hollywood Reporter and BuzzFeed News.
The celebrity attorney became a cable news fixture after taking on Daniels’ case. He has gained a reputation for his bellicose approach in representing her, and to politics more generally. He has publicly mulled becoming a Democratic 2020 presidential candidate.
“When they go low, I say hit back harder,” Avenatti said during a visit to Iowa in August.
