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Michael Madsen’s wife addresses attorney’s allegations regarding recent domestic disturbance

A blond woman in a short-sleeve shirt sits with a man in a casual suit, sunglasses and a ballcap who has his arm around her
DeAnna Madsen and her husband, actor Michael Madsen, were involved in a domestic disturbance at their Malibu home earlier this month.
(Chris Pizzello / Invision / Associated Press)
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Michael Madsen’s wife has broken her silence about an incident that resulted in the actor’s arrest on suspicion of domestic violence earlier this month.

DeAnna Madsen on Sunday rebutted statements made by an attorney contacted by The Times who spoke out Friday on behalf of the “Reservoir Dogs” actor. She said the lawyer no longer represents her husband and does not speak for him, her or the family. “He is not involved in this incident at all,” she said.

Update:

1:15 p.m. Aug. 26, 2024This story has been updated with comments from DeAnna Madsen and from a representative for Michael Madsen.

She also said she did not break into the family’s Malibu home, as alleged last week by attorney Perry Wander, who identified himself as Michael Madsen’s longtime attorney. She said she and Madsen share the Malibu home and are not separated.

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“While Perry Wander has represented Michael in the past, he is not the attorney of record in this situation,” Michael Madsen’s talent manager Ron Smith confirmed Monday in an e-mail to The Times.

When reached Monday by The Times, Wander said he has been Madsen’s lawyer since 2008 and has been retained to represent him on other matters. Madsen confirmed those details in a voice recording on Monday.

Actor Michael Madsen was arrested Saturday in Malibu after allegedly getting into ‘a domestic incident’ with his wife, an L.A. County Sheriff spokeserpson said.

Aug. 20, 2024

The attorney had alleged Friday in a statement to The Times that DeAnna Madsen “broke into” the actor’s Malibu home. “This has been an ongoing problem,” he said.

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Wander said that Michael Madsen had asked him to obtain a restraining order against DeAnna and to file for divorce, but noted that the actor had “been delaying it” because he still had one minor child.

“Michael has shown immense compassion and restraint during this period towards his estranged wife. He’s definitely not guilty of domestic violence,” Wander said.

Hudson Madsen, son of ‘Reservoir Dogs’ star Michael Madsen, died by suicide at age 26. The actor said his last text from his son read: ‘I love you dad.’

Jan. 26, 2022

In a statement to the Hollywood Reporter on Friday, Deanna Madsen said: “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.” She hadn’t responded Friday to an initial request for comment from The Times.

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The Quentin Tarantino film star, 66, and his wife, 63, wed in 1996 and, according to THR, separated after the 2022 suicide death of their eldest son, 26-year-old Hudson, a former U.S. Army sergeant and Tarantino’s godson. (DeAnna told The Times that they were not legally separated.) The former couple share two other children, sons Calvin and Luke. Michael Madsen also has a son, Christian, from a previous relationship.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff‘s Department, deputies responded to a domestic disturbance call at Madsen’s Malibu home about 12:15 a.m. July 17. “The informant stated that a female adult alleged her husband pushed her and locked her out of their residence,” a public information officer told The Times.

Contextual crime statistics just don’t hit the same as violent footage filling TV broadcasts and social media feeds.

Aug. 21, 2024

Based on their initial investigation, deputies determined that the Madsens were involved in “a domestic incident” and he was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor spousal battery. He was transported and booked at the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station and released from custody at 9:12 a.m after posting $20,000 bail, according to online jail records.

Last week, the public information officer said that the investigation was ongoing and would be forwarded to the Van Nuys Superior Courthouse for filing. No new details were made available when the sheriff’s information bureau was contacted again Friday.

As of Monday morning, no charges had been filed. However, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office confirmed Friday that “a case is under review.”

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