Michael Madsen’s lawyer is addressing the “Reservoir Dogs” star’s arrest at his Malibu home over the weekend, asserting that Madsen has been having an “ongoing problem” with his estranged wife.
Attorney Perry Wander alleged Friday in a statement to The Times that DeAnna Madsen “broke into” the actor’s Malibu home. The two have been separated for years and she no longer lives with “The Hateful Eight” star, he said.
“She broke into his house and he confronted her and asked her to leave. This has been an ongoing problem,” Wander said.
Wander said his client has asked him to obtain a restraining order against her and to file for divorce, but “because he has one minor child he’s been delaying it.” He also said that DeAnna will not pursue charges against the actor.
The attorney said that DeAnna has “not been stable” since the 2022 suicide death of their eldest son.
“Michael has shown immense compassion and restraint during this period towards his estranged wife. He’s definitely not guilty of domestic violence,” Wander said.
The Quentin Tarantino film star, 66, and his wife, 63, wed in 1996 and have been legally separated since the death of their 26-year-old son Hudson, a former U.S. Army sergeant and Tarantino’s godson. The former couple share two other children, sons Calvin and Luke, the latter of whom elected to live with his father when he was 16 and continues to do so at 18, Wander said. (Michael Madsen also has a son named 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. Saturday. “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.
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.
Earlier this 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 Friday morning, no charges had been filed. However, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office confirmed that “a case is under review.”
“According to Mr. Madsen‘s estranged wife Deanna, charges are going to be dropped. He’s not going to be charged, she has no desire to prosecute. There was no domestic battery. The case however is still being investigated by LASD as is standard in all DV [domestic violence] cases,” Wander said in an e-mail to The Times.
“A divorce is something she doesn’t want, nor does she want to prosecute Michael who also has personal challenges. She has told me that repeatedly. She wants privacy now because it’s too painful for her to relive her son’s death in the press,” he added.
DeAnna Madsen, 63, did not immediately respond Friday to The Times’ requests for comment.
However, in a statement to the Hollywood Reporter, she 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.”