Ryan Phillippe’s ex-girlfriend, Elsie Hewitt, accused him of domestic violence in a lawsuit she filed against him.
Ryan Phillippe’s ex-girlfriend, Elsie Hewitt, accused him of domestic violence in a lawsuit she filed against him.
In the lawsuit, Hewitt says she and Phillippe began dating in April and he became “infatuated” with her. According to documents obtained by ET, Hewitt alleges that she and Phillippe got in an argument on July 4 that stemmed from his jealousy when she got attention from other men at a party one night earlier.
The documents claim that Hewitt had gone to pick up things from Phillippe’s house and that once there, he was “discernibly drunk and high.” She claims in the docs to have given him warning that she would be stopping by, therefore claiming she was not trespassing.
According to a police report attached to the lawsuit, Hewitt told the Los Angeles Police Department that the 43-year-old actor hit, kicked and punched her, as well as picked her up “like a doll” and “threw [Hewitt] down flight of stairs.”
“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,” his rep said in a statement to ET. “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.”
A source tells ET that the actor did not injure Hewitt, claiming that the model trespassed on his property.
Hewitt filed the police report after the incident and went to the hospital. She then got a temporary Emergency Protective Order against Phillippe, which was served to him by the LAPD on July 6, ordering the actor to stay 100 feet away from Hewitt. She is asking for $1 million in damages.
Her lawsuit included several photos of bruises on her body, which were obtained by ET.
"Elsie showed up to Ryan's house uninvited and under the influence a few days after he had broken up with her,” a source claims to ET. “She physically attacked Ryan, caused a scene and refused to leave his home. As she was removed from the premises, she claims she fell and injured herself."
The source noted that Phillippe was not arrested or charged with a crime and added, “The city attorney will not prosecute based on their own independent investigation. She has since tried to seek revenge and fame by sending glamour shots of herself to media outlets with a false story of domestic violence."
The City Attorney's Office said in a statement to ET on Tuesday that it was referred to the matter following an investigation by the LAPD.
"After a through review the matter was set for a City Attorney office hearing, during which both parties were present, detailed the incident, were advised on the law and given guidance as to how to avoid similar incidents in the future," the statement read. "No further action has been scheduled following our office hearing."
Hewitt’s attorney, Keith Fink, released a statement to ET on Tuesday, writing, “The only thing Phillippe'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 are a bunch of fools," it reads.
"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. Add to this any man who calls a woman a c--- has serious animus towards women in general and would not be one championing the equality of women.”
Phillippe was previously married to Reese Witherspoon from 1999 to 2007. They share two children, 18-year-old daughter Ava and 13-year-old son Deacon.
He also has a 6-year-old daughter, Kailani, with actress Alexis Knapp, whom he dated in 2010. Phillippe had most recently dated Paulina Slagter, a Stanford Law School graduate. They dated for five years before getting engaged in December 2015, but split up last November.