'Bachelor' creator Mike Fleiss accused of demanding abortion and domestic violence by pregnant wife

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Press Trust of India Los Angeles
Last Updated : Jul 17 2019 | 2:05 PM IST

Mike Fleiss, the creator of ABC's highly-successful reality show "The Bachelor", has been accused of domestic violence by his pregnant wife, Laura.

On Tuesday, Laura filed for an emergency domestic violence restraining order, claiming that her husband attacked her and "demanded" she have an abortion. The alleged incident happened over the July 4 weekend in Hawaii.

In the court documents, filed by attorneys Samantha Spector and Lisa Meyer, Laura said that she is "approximately 10 weeks pregnant".

She claimed that Fleiss told her if she does not have an abortion, he would end their marriage.

"This was not the first time he had threatened a divorce during our marriage, but now, he was using this threat as leverage to force me to have an abortion. In addition, on July 4, Mike made the following statements to me: 'I am cutting you off financially Monday morning'; 'You are paying for everything with your money'; 'Next time I see you, I don't want to see your stomach'; and 'You have a choice, you can choose. Have an abortion or go back to Wisconsin, but you are not taking Ben'," she said.

The temporary restraining order, which is in effect until an August 6, prohibits Fleiss from contacting his wife or going within 100 yards of her or her home.

Talking to People magazine, Fleiss, 55, denied that he "hurt, attacked, or attempted to physically harm Laura or our child, Benjamin Fleiss 'Ben', in any way".

He claimed that in an incident, that happened on July 6, Laura "physically attacked" him.

"I tried to get away from her as she was chasing me and hitting me. I have security footage from our home that shows the incident, which the Court can review," Fleiss said.

"After the incident, Laura was initially remorseful. I was leaving Hawaii for work commitments in Los Angeles. I spent time with Ben at the house in Hawaii prior to leaving for Los Angeles. A few days after the incident, Laura stopped all communication with me. I don't know where Ben is and I want custody of him because of Laura's instability," he added.

A spokesperson for Warner Horizon, which produces "The Bachelor" and its spin-off "The Bachelorette", said, "We are aware of these serious allegations, and are looking into them.

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First Published: Jul 17 2019 | 2:05 PM IST

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