[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]

Former Bachelorette DeAnna Pappas is in trouble with the law after a domestic violence incident with her ex-husband… but she claims he’s the one who attacked her, not the other way around!

In January 2023, the reality star revealed she and Stephen Stagliano broke up after 11 years of marriage. They finalized in June 2024, agreeing to joint custody of their 9-year-old son Austin and 11-year-old daughter Addison. DeAnna and Stephen also decided they would not get drunk around their children, as well as not consume narcotics within 12 hours before or during time with their kids! The deal stated, per In Touch:

“Neither drink alcohol in excess of the legal limit during their custody periods, or have a child and/or children in their custody and control when being intoxicated.”

Well, it looks like Stephen is accusing DeAnna of breaking this rule! She was arrested on a misdemeanor charge after an altercation with him over the matter last month. Get ready for some major drama…

According to court documents obtained by Us Weekly and In Touch, Lynn Stagliano, who appears to be Stephen’s mom, filed a declaration in the divorce on March 7 claiming she went to DeAnna’s home on February 26 at 7:38 a.m. to help take Austin to school.

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When Lynn arrived at the house, she alleged, she “very clearly smelled alcohol on DeAnna’s breath.” She then put Austin in the car and left. The grandmother added:

“This was not the first time I picked up Austin. My husband picks him up more.”

Hold up! Is she trying to imply that they have had to pick up Austin several times in the past because DeAnna has been intoxicated? That she may be an alcoholic? DeAnna says that’s a lie, one started by Stephen! Per In Touch, she filed an opposition to an ex parte application filed by her ex alleging:

“The basis of [Stephen’s] is based on his fabrication that I am an alcoholic. This is wholly false and fabricated as way for [Stephen] to gain leverage in his attempt to alienate the children from me.”

The television personality claimed Stephen has a long history of “coaching our daughter to look for alcohol in the home” and telling her to “literally sniff out alcohol” as he wants to “alienate” Addison from her “by making her believe that I am an alcoholic.” To which she insisted:

“I am not an alcoholic.”

DeAnna filed a restraining order against Stephen on March 7 and detailed what she claims went down before her arrest. The ABC star alleged Stephen came to her house later that day on February 26 to pick up their daughter. When DeAnna walked Addison to his car, she claimed he told her she “needed to walk closer to him because he wanted to smell my breath to make sure that I was not drunk.” However, DeAnna swore in the court docs that she “had not consumed any alcohol” at the time.

During the pick-up, she “ignored Stephen’s comment” and “walked back into the garage,” but he followed her. DeAnna continued:

“I heard noise behind me. I turned around to see Stephen following me into my garage. [Our daughter] had been left alone sitting in his car with the engine running. I tried to shut my garage door. Stephen pushed my garage door upward so that it would not close. I shouted at Stephen to get out of my garage. Stephen refused to leave.”

Whoa! The situation escalated when DeAnna said she went inside and locked her door — but went back out after hearing noises in her garage. Per Us Weekly, she claimed she found Stephen trying to steal items out of the garage and that Addison recorded the incident on her phone. But HE allegedly got violent. DeAnna claimed:

“Stephen took his hands, grabbing me, and then forcefully shoved me. He pushed my back again. In fear that he would hurt me, I immediately went back inside the house and locked the door while I waited for the police to arrive.”

So scary…

But when the police arrived, Stephen wasn’t the one arrested… SHE was! DeAnna claimed her ex-husband called the police, and when the authorities arrived around midnight, they told her Stephen had accused her of being drunk and was pressing charges against her for domestic violence. He’d told them she “was the aggressor” and “assaulted him.” However, she told a completely different story! That he may have been the actual “aggressor” here. DeAnna claimed:

“Stephen had told the Sheriff that I was the aggressor who assaulted him, which was false. At no time was I requested to test for alcohol despite Stephen’s allegations. In fact, the officer that arrested me exhibited no concern that I was at all intoxicated.”

Ultimately, DeAnna was arrested on February 27 and released on a  $20,000 bond the same day. She alleged she voluntarily submitted to drug testing after being bailed out of jail, and both came back negative. As we previously mentioned, she filed for a restraining order against Stephen and demanded he stay 100 yards away from her. He has not addressed the alleged incident yet. In Touch reported that a hearing date has been scheduled for later this month.

What a messy situation. Reactions, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF in the comments.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Consider calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233, or text START to 88788, or go to https://www.thehotline.org/. 

[Image via Brian To/WENN, The Bachelorette/Warner Bros. Unscripted Television]

The post Former <i>Bachelorette</i> DeAnna Pappas Arrested After Altercation With Ex-Husband — But She Claims HE Attacked HER! appeared first on Perez Hilton.