NBA player Earl Watson has forgiven Jennifer Freeman for beating him down earlier this month. Watson and Freeman, the actress who starred on the sitcom “My Wife and Kids,” have reconciled and put their differences behind them.
Watson decided to withdraw his divorce petition against Freeman. According to reports, Freeman became upset after Watson checked her phone when she received a late-night text message. She became furious and slapped him in the face, bit his right wrist, and drew blood after biting him in the chest. She also attempted to hit Watson with an iron.
The mainstream media rarely reports female violence against men. But according to a study done by the National Violence Against Women Survey, over 834,000 men are abused by women each year. Every 37.8 seconds, a man is battered in America.
Dr. Barbara Lattimore, director of the Fulton County Department of Mental Health, offers cautionary words for men who find themselves in abusive relationships.
“There are several signs of a potentially abusive relationship,” she says. “If the person is extremely jealous, overly possessive, or has violent outbursts, there is a chance that a domestic violence situation can get out of hand. But men have to be very careful when dealing with an abusive woman. You may have to establish a safety plan for yourself if you know that breaking up with this person may lead to violence. Sometimes, you have to get a restraining order. But you have to always let family and friends know where you will be and make sure that you are in a position to get help if anything unusual happens. The first few days of breaking away, you have to be protected. You can never be too careful.” –amir shaw
