Stacey Dash speaks out after domestic violence arrest, says 'marital dispute' has 'been blown out of proportion'
Stacey Dash was arrested and charged with domestic battery on Sunday night after an alleged altercation with her husband, Jeffrey Marty. In a released 911 call, she also accused her husband of assault stemming from a family incident. The actress spoke out about the "marital dispute" in a statement Monday afternoon calling it "personal and unfortunate."
The Pasco County Sheriff's Office told ABC Action News station WFTS that the Clueless star, 52, and the alleged victim — believed Marty — got into a verbal argument at around 7:45pm at an apartment in New Port Richey before she allegedly pushed and slapped him in the face.
According to WFTS, Dash's arrest report has deputies noting that "the victim sustained red scratch marks to his left upper arm from being pushed." Dash was taken into custody, as the marks were reportedly evident upon arrival. TMZ reports she is currently being held on $500 bail. Local authorities typically hold people for a 24-hour cooling-off period.
Body cam video obtained by WFLA from the Pasco County Sheriff's Office showed Dash complying during her arrest. When asked by the arresting officer what she did for work she replied, "I'm an actress. ... I did a film called Clueless." She told the officer she was "taking a break" from acting. "I did politics for a while. I was a Fox News contributor."
TMZ obtained audio of the 911 call made by Dash in which she accused Marty of assault. "I've been assaulted by my husband," she claimed to the operator. "We were all arguing, I asked his daughter to get out of my face because she was in my face, I pushed her back, he put me into a chokehold."
Dash can be heard talking to someone in the background, presumably her husband. "No? Do you want to see the marks on my neck?" she exclaimed, adding, "I didn't hit you." The actress told the operator "there are three children, one adult and myself" at the residence.
Dash’s manager issued a statement Monday saying reports about the dispute have "been blown out of proportion."
"On the evening of Sunday, September 29, 2019, actress Stacey Dash and her husband had a marital dispute in their Tampa, FL suburb; Pasco County Deputies were dispatched to their residence. No charges were pressed by her husband, however, Deputies arrested Ms. Dash peacefully, as a formality," it begins. "Ms. Dash's husband appeared in court today, September 30th, on her behalf and Ms. Dash was released from the Land O’ Lakes detention facility. No further legal action is pending."
The statement continues, "The marital dispute, while personal and unfortunate, has since been blown out of proportion. An earlier report on TMZ.com said her manager told TMZ that she was attacked by her husband - both the sources relationship to Ms. Dash and the events of the evening were misrepresented." (TMZ cited "a source close to Dash" as saying the actress acted in self-defense because her husband attacked first.)
"Ms. Dash is a domestic abuse survivor from a previous relationship and has championed for other abuse victims to speak up," the statement concludes. "The untruthfulness being reported saddens Ms. Dash and her family - no further comments will be made and we ask that Ms. Dash and her family's privacy will be respected."
Yahoo Entertainment reached out to the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, which did not reply.
Dash and Marty have kept a low profile in Florida since tying the knot last year. Not much is known about her lawyer husband, but in 2016 he was profiled by Buzzfeed News after creating a Twitter account for a fake politician, Rep. Steven Smith of Georgia, who was the "first member of congress" to endorse Donald Trump. The fake Rep. Smith has fooled some of the most prominent journalists and pundits in America.
Dash, also a vocal supporter of President Trump, met Marty around the time she decided to withdraw from California's congressional race. The pair secretly wed in April 2018 — just 10 days after they first met. This is Dash's fourth marriage. Marty has three children from a previous marriage.
[Editor’s note: This post has been updated to include Dash’s 911 call and statement.]
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