Photos submitted to the court by Michael Avenatti’s alleged victim reveal her injuries after he allegedly hit her in the face with pillows, dragged her across the floor of his apartment in her underwear, and called her an ‘ungrateful b***h.’
Avenatti, who represents porn star Stormy Daniels, was booked for felony domestic assault after he allegedly struck girlfriend Mareli Miniutti last Tuesday.
In court documents submitted on Monday first obtained by The Blast, the Estonian actress, who has been dating the lawyer since last October, claims he assaulted her after an argument about money turned physical.
Miniutti says the altercation left her with scratches on the side of her leg and ‘red marks’ on her left side.
She also claims the November 13 incident was not the first time Avenatti, 47, has been violent with her.
According to the three-page declaration, the two had been arguing in the master bedroom that evening when Avenatti began to ‘berate’ her and called her an ‘ungrateful f***ing b***h.’
Michael Avenatti’s accuser was revealed as Mareli Miniutti, an Estonian actress in her 20s who has appeared in the likes of Ocean’s 8 and Chuck
Miniutti has submitted photos to the court showing her injuries after Michael Avenatti allegedly hit her in the face with pillows and dragged her across the floor
Miniutti says the altercation left her with scratches on the side of her leg and ‘red marks’ on her left side
Miniutti claims Avenatti yanked her by the wrist to pull her out of bed before dragging her across the floor
She also alleged that the lawyer has been violent with her in the past and struck her during an altercation in February
Miniutti says she then exited the room and went to the guest room to sleep alone, but he eventually followed her, ‘calling her names’ before forcefully hitting her in the face with pillows.
She claims Avenatti said, ‘Do not disrespect me. You don’t get to sleep in my house tonight,’ before reaching for her wrist in an attempt to pull her out of bed.
Avenatti, however, slipped and lost his grip and she used the opportunity to send texts to a friend, according the documents.
‘After a few moments, [he] yelled at me, and grabbed the phone out of my hand and screamed, “this is my phone!” and put it in his pocket.’
Miniutti says Avenatti remained close to her ‘at all times’ and she became ‘afraid’ for her safety and screamed for help towards a window.
That’s when Avenatti allegedly tried to pull her out of bed again, this time succeeding and dragging her on the floor of the apartment and out to the hallway while she was only in her underwear and a t-shirt.
Miniutti tried to get help by ringing a neighbor’s doorbell but Avenatti allegedly pulled back her inside and blocked the door with his body to prevent her from leaving.
‘I screamed and asked [him] to return my phone. [He] refused to return my phone,’ the declaration states.
She then ran back to the guest bedroom to put pants on, but he quickly followed, giving her no time to put on shoes, she claims.
Miniutti eventually managed to bypass Avenatti, exited the apartment, and made a run for the elevator as he chased after her.
Mareli Miniutti’s apparently estranged husband Michael Miniutti (right) told DailyMail.com ‘No man has a right to raise a hand to a woman. Period.’ Avenatti called the claims ‘bogus’ after her identity was revealed Monday
A family confirmed to Dailymail.com that Michael Miniutti was married to Mareli but he was unclear on their current status
While the two were in the elevator, he allegedly began to beg, ‘Don’t do this Mareli, don’t involve them.’
Avenatti finally returned her phone when she approached front desk personnel, who called security.
Miniutti, who had been living with Avenatti since January, also alleges that he struck her during another incident in February this year.
‘At that time, I was living with [Avenatti] in a different apartment in the same building. [He] had been drinking, and he became angry at me. [He] pushed me out of the apartment into the public hallway, where I hit my head against a door across the hallway,’ she claims.
Avenatti, she says, then threw her shoes at her, hitting her in the leg.
She claims Avenatti has ‘a history of being very verbally abusive and financially controlling’ towards her and has ‘vehemently opposed’ her wish to earn a living outside of Hollywood.
‘[He] has made promises to “take care of me” financially and sometimes fails to follow through,’ she says in papers.
Miniutti filed for a domestic violence restraining order in Los Angeles on Monday and a hearing has been set for December 10.
According to outlet, the judge granted the temporary restraining order against Avenatti based on Miniutti’s allegations in the filing.
Miniutti’s husband has since spoken out about the alleged assault.
When asked about Miniutti’s claims that she was assaulted by Michael Avenatti, Michael Miniutti told DailyMail.com: ‘No man has a right to raise a hand to a woman. Period.
Asked if was still married to the actress, Miniutti, Programme Director at Mansion House Consulting based in New York City, responded, ‘No comment.’
But his brother Brian Miniutti, confirmed to Dailymail.com that Michael was married to Mareli but was unclear about their current status.
Laywer Michael Avenatti claims he will be ‘fully exonerated’ by a now-deleted Instagram post (above) his accuser, Mareli Miniutti shared in the hours after he allegedly assaulted her
‘There is nothing more powerful than video evidence. NOTHING! I will be fully exonerated,’ Avenatti tweeted in the early hours of Tuesday
He later added that posts that could quash her claims had been shared on her Instagram account that was made private after her restraining order filed at Santa Monica Court House
Avenatti again called the claims ‘bogus’ after her identity was revealed Monday
Michael Avenatti’s accuser has been revealed as Mareli Miniutti, an Estonian actress in her 20s
‘I honestly don’t know what the status is on that.’
When asked if Mareli was still living with his brother in New York’s Financial district, he said: ‘to my knowledge she is not.’
He added: ‘If I’m talking with him it’s family stuff, not anything about her.’
Avenatti has claimed he will be ‘fully exonerated’ by a now-deleted Instagram post his accuser shared in the hours after he allegedly assaulted her.
Minuitti’s identity was revealed on Monday. The Estonian native recently appeared in the film Ocean’s Eight.
Avenatti hit back against the allegations on Monday, denying he struck her near his ritzy Los Angeles apartment and claimed he would be vindicated by video evidence.
He claims his accuser had posted something on Instagram in the hours after the incident that showed her claims were ‘bogus.’
Avenatti appears to be referring to videos posted on Minuitti’s Instagram story – shared in the hours after Avenatti was taken into custody last Wednesday, according to Hill Reporter.
They show a carefree Miniutti laughing and apparently bruise-free – although she may have concealed her injuries with make-up.
‘There is nothing more powerful than video evidence. NOTHING! I will be fully exonerated,’ Avenatti tweeted in the early hours of Tuesday.
He tweeted again hours later, revealing he has authorized the release of security camera footage relevant to the incident saying, ‘I want the truth to be known – all of it.’
Blink and you will miss: Mareli Miniutti (center) is seen in her brief appearance in Ocean’s 8 – as star Anne Hathaway walks behind
She has appeared in movies starring several big names including Rebel Wilson and Liev Schreiber
In 2018 Miniutti’s due to appear in Sargasso and Crypto with the likes of Kurt Russel, Luke Hemsworth and Alexis Bledel
He earlier hinted that Miniutti has shared posts he said ‘undercut’ her claims on her Instagram page, which she made private after the restraining order she filed was made public .
‘People think they are so smart. Until they post stuff on IG that undercuts their bogus, fabricated claims they made less than 24 hrs earlier. We can’t wait for justice!’ Avenatti wrote on Twitter.
He also hit back at the claims on Monday, writing: ‘I look forward to a full clearing of my name and disclosure of all of the facts. I have NEVER abused a woman or committed domestic violence against anyone.
‘Any claim to the contrary is completely bogus and fabricated. I am a target. And I will be exonerated.’
Miniutti portrayed Met Gala star Cassandra in Ocean’s 8 and has other acting credits to her name including 2016’s Liev Scriber flick Chuck, Forgetting Sandy Glass and How to Be Single, which starred funny woman Rebel Wilson.
In 2018 she’s due to appear in Sargasso and Crypto with the likes of Kurt Russel, Luke Hemsworth and Alexis Bledel.
Her Instagram bio tells visitors: ‘Don’t confuse Instagram for real life.’
She also began to remove images from her Facebook page Monday.
Avanatti’s accuser was formerly reported to be his estranged wife, Lisa Storey-Avenatti.
She began to remove images from her Facebook page Monday
Michael Avenatti’s accuser was revealed as Mareli Miniutti, an Estonian actress in her 20s
Miniutti appears in The Go Girls from 2017. She has also appeared in Chuck and How to Be Single
But the attorney’s wife later released a statement saying she had not seen Avenatti in months, and that he would never be violent to a woman.
‘I have known Michael Avenatti for over 26 years we met when he was 21 years old and we were married for 13 years,’ she tweeted after his arrest.
‘Michael has ALWAYS been a kind loving father to our two daughters and husband to me. He has NEVER been abusive to me or anyone else. He is a good man.’
The attorney’s fall from grace started shortly after with several people, including actress Alyssa Milano, disavowing him.
First it was Milano who called the allegations ‘totally disgusting’ in a tweet.
‘I’m disavowing Avenatti. I do not care what side he’s on,’ the Charmed actress said Wednesday.
Then it was the hosts from The View followed by Democrats in Vermont who pledged to disavow Avenatti if the allegations are true, along with his client Stormy Daniels who said she’ll even consider getting a new lawyer.
Daniels, who hired Avenatti in her lawsuit against President Trump, also released a statement to DailyMail.com on Thursday, saying the allegations were ‘serious and obviously very troubling’.
‘But right now that is all they are: allegations,’ she added. ‘I do not condone violence against women and if these allegations prove true I will be seeking new representation.’
When asked about the allegations against Avenatti during a press conference on Tuesday, Trump replied, ‘I wish him luck,’ with a smirk.
The Vermont Democratic Party canceled events planned for Friday and Saturday, where Avenatti was scheduled to speak, and is refunding ticket sales. He had expressed interested in being a candidate for the 2020 elections.
Since his November 15 arrest, Avenatti has denied the claims of domestic violence and even went so far to say that he was set up.
Stormy Daniels released a statement to DailyMail.com on Thursday, saying if the allegations ‘prove true I will be seeking new representation’
The allegations emerged and many of Avenatti’s appearances were axed
‘I have never struck a woman, I never will strike a woman,’ Avenatti told reporters Wednesday after being booked and posting $50,000 bail.
Avenatti said he has been an advocate for women’s rights his entire career and is confident that he will be exonerated.
He also released a statement through his law firm slamming the allegation as ‘completely bogus’ and intended to harm his reputation.
Sources told TMZ that Avenatti and the woman had a confrontation on the evening of November 13.
The unnamed woman was seen running out of the apartment and screaming into her cell phone while wearing sunglasses to conceal the alleged bruises on her face.
‘I can’t believe you did this to me,’ she reportedly yelled into the phone.
Security guards then led the woman back inside the building, according to TMZ.
Five minutes later, Avenatti showed up and ran into the building, chasing after her.
‘She hit me first,’ Avenatti is reported to have said repeatedly. ‘This is bulls***, this is f***ing bulls***.’
Avenatti claimed that his domestic violence arrest was a set up from the same man being investigated by the FBI for a smear campaign against Robert Mueller.
‘First Mueller and now me,’ Avenatti tweeted on Thursday morning. ‘When we are fully exonerated I am coming for you Jacob Wohl aka Surefire.’
Surefire’s domain was connected to Wohl, 20, a right-wing conspiracy theorist. Wohl wrote a Gateway Pundit article claiming Mueller raped a woman in 2010.
Two women said the company offered to pay them to make false claims against him.
Seemingly boosting Avenatti’s claims are the fact that Surefire’s official Twitter account tweeted shortly after news of his arrest broke on Wednesday.
‘Surefire Intelligence strikes again,’ read the tweet, which was replying to a headline that read: ‘Michael Avenatti has been arrested for felony domestic violence and is currently in LAPD custody’.
Miniutti’s Instagram account was switched to private mode after her restraining order filed at Santa Monica Court House emerged
