Michael Madsen has filed for divorce and accused his estranged wife of driving their son to suicide.
Michael Madsen has filed for divorce
The 'Reservoir Dogs' actor has submitted paperwork to legally end his 28-year marriage to DeAnna Madsen, and though he cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split, he also included a statement in which he alleged he had been a victim of abuse for years.
According to TMZ, he wrote that he split from DeAnna in 2022 because he believed her "neglect, drinking and alcoholism" drove their son Hudson to take his own life in January that year.
And the 66-year-old star claimed DeAnne contributed to his own problems as he ended up in an "abusive, co-dependent, and toxic relationship", which ended with his wrongful arrest on domestic violence charges last month.
The 'Hateful Eight' actor was taken into custody in Malibu, California, on 17 August and arrested on a charge of misdemeanour domestic battery but the case was thrown out less than two weeks later due to insufficient evidence.
Michael's spokesperson told TMZ at the time: "We are thrilled that Michael Madsen is able to put this behind him and look forward to our continued collaboration with more great things coming from this veteran and respected actor."
Following Michael's arrest, his lawyer insisted the veteran actor was "definitely not guilty" of domestic abuse.
The legal representative told The Hollywood Reporter Michael had “confronted” DeAnna and “asked her to leave” the house, saying the couple are facing an “ongoing problem”.
The attorney added: “Michael has shown immense compassion and restraint during this period towards his estranged wife.
“He’s definitely not guilty of domestic violence.”
DeAnna also told The Hollywood Reporter: “Michael is struggling with his own personal issues. Myself and our children have been supporting him to the best of our ability. We would request privacy at this time.”
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department has said deputies responded to a call just after midnight on 17 August after they were warned a “female adult” had alleged her “husband pushed her and locked her out of their residence”.
The former couple are also parents to Luke and Kalvin, while Michael also has Christian, Max, and Jessica from previous relationships.
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