Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story reported that the woman involved in the incident was Michael Avenatti’s estranged wife. The TMZ report that information was based on has since been corrected to exclude her as the alleged victim.
Michael Avenatti, the mercurial lawyer representing adult film star Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against Donald Trump has some legal trouble of his own tonight as he has been arrested for domestic violence. An unknown woman has filed a felony domestic violence report against the outspoken attorney who is currently in custody.
TMZ is reporting that the alleged event happened in Los Angeles at an “exclusive” apartment. Observers said the woman ran out of the building wearing sunglasses to cover her eyes, and onto the sidewalk near the front entrance with her cell phone, yelling at him, plausibly on the phone.
“I can’t believe you did this to me.”
She was escorted back inside the building by security and Avenatti showed up at the building approximately five minutes later, screaming.
“She hit me first. This is bulls***, this is f***ing bulls***.”
TMZ is reporting that a witness said the woman’s face was “swollen and bruised.”
Michael Avenatti arrested for suspected felony domestic violence https://t.co/pd2p4FVHVe pic.twitter.com/P4YNWkZbh7
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) November 14, 2018
The Hollywood Reporter says that Avenatti is still waiting to be booked on the domestic assault charges and is currently at the police station. The lawyer made his name as the attorney for Daniels (nee Stephanie Clifford) and other women who were claiming to have been wronged by Donald Trump. He is particularly outspoken on Twitter when confronting Trump about his treatment of women.
“There’s only one way that these tweets and this behavior and this conduct and this misogyny is going to end, and it’s only going to end if you displace Donald Trump from the presidency of the United States.”
Avenatti’s arrest could certainly put at risk any future political aspirations, including a possible run for the highest office in 2020. The lawyer says that he has had many donors reaching out to him already.
“A number of people have stepped forward and said that they would do whatever I needed in the way of financial support, as well as introductions, hosting events, things of that nature.”
Before his arrest on domestic violence charges, Avenatti was most recently in the news taking on FoxNews host Tucker Carlson over accusations that the reporter lied when making a statement about an alleged assault at a Virginia Country Club.
