Fox News host Tucker Carlson claims a man called his 19-year-old daughter a “whore” and a “fucking c–t” at a Virginia country club last month.
The resulting confrontation has led to the prospect of a legal fight, as the man, Juan Manuel Granados, who is represented by lawyer and potential Democratic presidential candidate Michael Avenatti, claims that Carlson assaulted him and says he might press charges.
In a statement this weekend, Carlson alleges Granados ran into his daughter walking back from the bathroom during a family dinner on Oct. 13 at the Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Va. Granados asked whether she was sitting with Carlson, and she replied that he was her father, which Carlson said prompted Granados to use the vulgar language.
In response, Carlson said his son threw a glass of wine in Granados’ face while Carlson yelled expletives at the man. Granados’ membership at the club has since been revoked, Carlson wrote in the statement.
“I love my children. It took enormous self-control not to beat the man with a chair, which is what I wanted to do. I think any father can understand the overwhelming rage and shock that I felt seeing my teenage daughter attacked by a stranger,” Carlson said. “But I restrained myself. I did not assault this man, and neither did my son. That is a lie. Nor did I know the man was gay or Latino, not that it would have mattered. What happened on October 13 has nothing to do with identity politics. It was a grotesque violation of decency. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.”
On Saturday, Avenatti, who says Granados is a “gay Latino immigrant,” shared a video of the incident at the center of the controversy, imploring witnesses to come forward if they had relevant information about the encounter.
[Also read: Left-wingers mob Tucker Carlson’s home: ‘We know where you sleep at night!’]
1/2 – We are investigating an alleged assault on a gay latino immigrant committed by T. Carlson and/or members of his inner circle at a club in VA in Oct. It likely includes underage drinking in violation of VA law. Link to a portion of the incident:https://t.co/QcbCRHrplP
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) November 10, 2018
Avenatti later pushed back on Carlson’s version of the events that transpired.
“Your daughter nor your son were called those things. The man never admitted it. Your son committed assault and battery. You committed assault (learn the difference),” tweeted Avenatti, who also represents porn star Stormy Daniels in her legal battle against President Trump. “You told the man to ‘go back where you came from’ before the video starts.”
1/3 – @TuckerCarlson – your stmt about what transpired is an absolute lie. Your daughter nor your son were called those things. The man never admitted it. Your son committed assault and battery. You committed assault (learn the difference). Your friend” committed assault…
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) November 10, 2018
Granados, in a statement released Sunday by Avenatti, reiterated that he intends to press charges.
“I did not deserve to be treated that way that night,” he said. “I am confident that after a full and complete investigation, the truth will be known and Tucker’s version of events will be shown to be a complete fabrication.”
Here is a statement from my client regarding the incident with Tucker Carlson and Tucker’s fabricated version of events. As a father of two teenage daughters myself, I find it disgraceful that Tucker seeks to justify his behavior by falsely hiding behind his family. #Coward pic.twitter.com/j9uX7pRdyP
— Michael Avenatti (@MichaelAvenatti) November 11, 2018
Business Insider reported Saturday that Granados has previously sued the Roanoke Athletic Club, another group based in Virginia, for not granting him, his partner, and their child family membership.
Carlson and Avenatti have had a combative relationship since the attorney took on Daniels as a client. Carlson’s Fox News program referred to Avenatti as a “creepy porn lawyer” in a chyron when he appeared on the show in September for a debate. The TV personality has repeatedly employed the phrase to belittle Avenatti.
Read Carlson’s full statement below:
“On October 13, I had dinner with two of my children and some family friends at the Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville, Virginia. Toward the end of the meal, my 19-year-old daughter went to the bathroom with a friend. On their way back through the bar, a middle aged man stopped my daughter and asked if she was sitting with Tucker Carlson. My daughter had never seen the man before. She answered: ‘That’s my dad,’ and pointed to me. The man responded, ‘Are you Tucker’s whore?’ He then called her a ‘fucking cunt.’
My daughter returned to the table in tears. She soon left the table and the club. My son, who is also a student, went into the bar to confront the man. I followed. My son asked the man if he’d called his sister a ‘whore’ and a ‘cunt.’ The man admitted he had, and again become profane. My son threw a glass of red wine in the man’s face and told him to leave the bar, which he soon did.
Immediately after the incident, I described these events to the management of the Farmington Country Club. The club spent more than three weeks investigating the incident. Last week, they revoked the man’s membership and threw him out of the club.
I love my children. It took enormous self-control not to beat the man with a chair, which is what I wanted to do. I think any father can understand the overwhelming rage and shock that I felt seeing my teenage daughter attacked by a stranger. But I restrained myself. I did not assault this man, and neither did my son. That is a lie. Nor did I know the man was gay or Latino, not that it would have mattered. What happened on October 13 has nothing to do with identity politics. It was a grotesque violation of decency. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.”
