Ryan Phillippe is adamant that he did not abuse his ex-girlfriend during a July incident, and he's now hired a civil litigator to go after the woman who is making claims that he did.
TMZ reported on Sept. 19 that the actor plans to file either a defamation or malicious prosecution lawsuit against Elsie Hewitt, his ex, who claims that he assaulted her while under the influence on July 4.
Ryan says the claim that he abused her is entirely false in every aspect and that Elsie actually attacked him after he broke up with her. Sources close to the actor say the model showed up to his house uninvited, intoxicated and started attacking him. A source told E! News that she fell and injured herself while she was leaving his house.
Sources told TMZ that Ryan isn't really looking for money from Elsie — and doesn't think she has money anyway — but he wants her to acknowledge that she's lying. The website says that he wants to simply make a point, similar to Taylor Swift's recent court case in which she won a $1 settlement from a Denver DJ.
It's unclear what Ryan is looking for from a financial standpoint, but he will reportedly donate any money he gets to domestic violence organizations. He seems rather confident that Elsie's case will be thrown out.
In a statement, his camp said, "As a staunch advocate for the health, well-being and equality of women, Ryan is completely devastated that these false allegations have been made and circulated. Domestic violence is an incredibly serious issue and fabricated and proven false claims should not be used to unjustly slander the falsely accused. The claims are false."
Elsie is asking for over $1 million in her lawsuit. Her attorney told The Blast that she plans to donate any winnings to domestic violence charities. In her initial lawsuit, she claimed Ryan "hit," "kicked," "punched," and "threw [her] down a flight of stairs causing visible injuries to legs, back, arms, shoulder and face." A protective order was issued, but there are differing reports as to how long that was in effect.
In response to Ryan's statement, Elsie's attorney told E! News on Sept. 19, "The only thing Phillipe's PR statement has right is the fact that domestic violence is a serious issue. The claim that he didn't assault her is laughable. He must think the media a bunch of fools. She has photos of the serious cuts and bruises she suffered as a result of the assault. She has hospital records documenting her injuries. The police took a report of the assault and issued a restraining order. Her employer Paul Marciano at Guess can confirm her injuries as can her friend who witnessed the assault."
The attorney later added, that Ryan has "serious animus towards women in general and would not be one championing the equality of women."
As for specifics, the attorney says, "She was the one who broke up with him. She has a witness that was present when he battered her. The witness saw him physically grab her and toss her down the stairs like a rag doll. The claim she trip and fell is false and belied by the bruises on her body as well the witness."
The L.A. City Attorney has already declined to file charges after an investigation, which is why Elsie is now going after Ryan in a civil case.