Actor Terrence Howard and his estranged wife, Michelle Howard, have had a rocky relationship both behind closed doors and in the tabloids. But things have apparently gotten out of control as Michelle recently filed a temporary restraining order against Howard, claiming he’s beaten her on a number of occasions.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, on Dec. 6, Howard was ordered to stay at least 100 feet away from Michelle after she filed a lengthy declaration claiming that Howard began threatening and beating her within a week of the couple’s January 2010 wedding. Michelle filed for divorce a year later. The restraining order will remain in effect until a Jan. 17, 2012, court hearing.
In the declaration, Michelle claimed that Howard has hit her several times and even threatened to throw her from a hotel balcony in South Africa last year.
“Despite my efforts to remove myself physically from [Howard’s] life, his periodic mood swings from anger, threats and violence to statements of love and requests for reconciliation continue and have not subsided,” she wrote.
Michelle also included a text message she allegedly received from Howard on Nov. 30 in which the actor pleaded with her not to pursue their pending divorce and threaten his career, ending the text with the ambiguous threat, “I can’t promise how I will respond.”
However, Howard has denied Michelle’s abuse accusations in his own sworn declaration, saying that his wife has threatened on numerous occasions to ruin his career and release private details of their home life.
“I live in constant fear of Michelle’s endeavors to ruin my reputation; even providing this declaration may well lead to my being subjected to a paparazzi blitz, which would not be good for my career,” Howard wrote.
Howard also countered Michelle’s text message threat claims, adding in his declaration that he followed with another text message saying he wasn’t threatening her.
Well, we’re sure this isn’t the last we’ll hear of this couple’s rough demise. While you contemplate who’s telling the truth and who’s lying, be sure to check out our list of six other celebrity couples who had abusive relationships. –nicholas robinson
