'The Bachelor' and 'The Bachelorette' creator Mike Fleiss accused of attacking pregnant wife after demanding abortion
Mike Fleiss, creator of 'The Bachelor' and 'The Bachelorette' has been accused by his wife, Laura Fleiss, of attacking her after she refused to have an abortion at their Hawaii home. A copy of the court documents was obtained by THR and Laura, the 2012 Miss America Winner, accused her husband of attacking her over the fourth of July weekend.
He allegedly demanded an abortion which she refused. According to the document, their son, Ben, was in the room during a portion of the argument. In the filing, Laura said, "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 4th, 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."
Laura Fleiss alleged that on July 6, Mike "grabbed (her) body" and "forcibly pinned (her) up against the wall," before yelling at her and threatening to "punch her in the face." Later on, Mike allegedly "forcefully shoved" Laura off the side of his truck while she pleaded with him to return her cellphone, which he had taken.
Photos of the alleged attack were included by Attorneys Samantha Spector and Lisa Meyer, and a temporary restraining order was granted Tuesday. A hearing for a long-term restraining order is scheduled for Aug. 6.
According to Variety, Mike made headlines recently for getting into a Twitter feud with 'Grey’s Anatomy' star Ellen Pompeo and Kelly Ripa over comments the latter made on her show regarding 'The Bachelor.' Ripa took a stand against the reality series, saying that it "disgusts" her. She then called the audience out for watching the "gross, gross show."
Representatives for Warner Horizon, which produces 'The Bachelor' and 'The Bachelorette,' and ABC, which broadcasts both programs, have not commented on the issue yet.