The actress has been cleared of assault allegations after her accuser did not show up for a court appearance.
Orange Is the New Black star Taryn Manning has been
cleared of assault allegations after her accuser did not show up for a court
appearance in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
“The complainant failed to show up in court today,
validating Ms. Manning’s position that the case contained entirely fabricated
allegations, and the court dismissed the case,” Manning’s legal counsel said in
a statement to ET.
MORE: Taryn Manning's Ex-Makeup Artist Alleges the 'OITNB' Actress Assaulted Her
Less than two weeks ago, Manning was accused by her
ex-makeup artist, Holly Hartman, of being involved in a physical confrontation.
According to court documents, the 37-year-old actress reportedly head-butted
Hartman in her NYC apartment and then, as Hartman writes, "Whipped me with
wet towel. Sprayed Windex in eyes and mouth. Put me in a headlock cutting off
air."
The most bizarre portion of the request is Hartman's claim
that Manning yelled, "Pick a knife. I'm wearing a white shirt there will
be a lot of blood. You will be famous for killing Taryn Manning."
Hartman, who claims in the documents that the two used to be
in a relationship, made similar accusations of domestic violence in 2012.
MORE: 'OITNB' Star Taryn Manning Seeking $10M From NYC Over 'False Arrest'
Hartman had previously requested a restraining order against
Manning, but it was denied on the grounds that it was filed in Los Angeles and
the alleged incident is said to have taken place in New York.
Manning’s attorneys had denied the allegations from the very
beginning. "The court has already denied the request by Ms. Hartman for a
temporary restraining order," they said in a previous statement to ET.
MORE: Taryn Manning's 'Cleveland Abduction' and 6 Lifetime True-Crime Movies You'll Never Forget
The statement continues, "The application for the order
is suspect because Ms. Manning has had no contact with Ms. Hartman in many
months due to Ms. Hartman's actions against Ms. Manning which are currently
under criminal investigation in multiple jurisdictions. These investigations
have long predated these entirely fabricated allegations. Ms. Hartman is under
investigation for stalking Ms. Manning and for theft and other crimes. It is
clear that Ms. Hartman's camp has leaked these allegations which were not
available publicly to elevate her own position and obscure her own wrong
doing."
In an unrelated legal battle, Manning filed a petition on
Monday asking for permission to take legal action against the city of New York
for the sum of $10 million claiming she was falsely arrested in 2014.
For more on the original assault allegations, watch the video below: