“Empire” star Terrence Howard is being sued for sexual assault by his ex-wife

Michelle Ghent alleges that he violently abused her back in 2013

Published July 29, 2015 7:42PM (EDT)

Terrence Howard      (AP/Richard Shotwell)
Terrence Howard (AP/Richard Shotwell)

Terrence Howard’s ex-wife Michelle Ghent is suing the “Empire” star for domestic violence, THR reports, with Ghent alleging that he assaulted her back at a Costa Rican rental house in 2013.

According to Ghent's complaint, Howard "punched her on the left side of her face. Defendant also grabbed Plaintiff by her neck and pushed her against the bathroom wall and strangled her for several seconds.” Then, the complaint alleges, Howard "grabbed her neck again and pinned her against the shower glass and her head hit the wall” when she attempted to leave the room, causing his son-in-law Billy to intervene.

"While Billy tried to pry Defendant's hands from Plaintiff's neck, Defendant whispered to Plaintiff, 'Remember what I told you in Bora Bora? That is what I'm gonna do,' referring to a prior instance where Defendant told Plaintiff that her body would never leave the island,” the complaint continued. "Plaintiff interpreted the reference to mean that Defendant was going to kill her.” Ghent is also suing Howard for defamation, arguing that he falsely accused her of making threats against him.

Howard has a long history of violence against women; He was arrested in 2001 for assaulting his ex-wife Lori McCommas and pled guilty to disorderly conduct, while his ex-girlfriend May Seng Yang claimed he was abusive with her back in 2012 (they settled out of court). In 2000, Howard was arrested for assaulting a female flight attendant (the charges were later dropped) while in 2005, he was arrested for assaulting a couple at a restaurant (again, pled guilty to disorderly conduct). Ghent, meanwhile, has said that Howard was violent with her on multiple instances throughout their marriage, and has received two restraining orders against him.


By Anna Silman

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Domestic Abuse Terrence Howard Violence