Food Network Star Darnell Ferguson and Wife Had ‘Disagreement,’ Says His Lawyer
On Tuesday, Darnell Ferguson, 36, was arrested in Kentucky on felony strangulation and burglary charges
Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty
Darnell FergusonA lawyer for Darnell “SuperChef” Ferguson says the Food Network star and his estranged wife had a “disagreement” in a statement provided to PEOPLE.
On Tuesday, Ferguson, 36, was arrested in Kentucky on felony charges of burglary and strangulation in connection with an alleged attack on his estranged wife Tatahda Ferguson.
The chef also faces misdemeanor charges including assault, terroristic threatening, menacing, criminal mischief and theft-receipt of a stolen credit or debit card.
According to an arrest warrant that was served on Jan. 9 and has been reviewed by PEOPLE, Darnell allegedly broke into Tatahda’s St. Matthews home on Jan. 2. and began yelling at her and punching walls. He then allegedly grabbed her by the neck and strangled her while threatening to kill her, the warrant stated.
Stephen J. Cohen/Getty
Darnell Ferguson attends the The Eighth Annual Muhammad Ali Humanitarian AwardsKrsna Tibbs, an attorney for Darnell, said in a statement shared with PEOPLE on Thursday, that the estranged couple had a “disagreement” that was “subsequently reported to the authorities in a misleading and false manner.”
"We are hopeful that these issues will be resolved shortly and in a way that is least disruptive to their blended family of eight children," he added.
"We ask at this time for privacy for Darnell and the entire family so that they can heal and continue to work on co-parenting as they move forward with their divorce," the statement concluded.
Food Network
Darnell Ferguson, portrait, as seen on Superchef Grudge Match, Season 1.Darnell was arraigned Wednesday, according to a separate case history file reviewed by PEOPLE, and released after posting a $10,000 bond. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges, according to local news outlets WDRB, WHAS 11 and WEWS-TV.
According to the arrest warrant, Tatahda claimed that during the incident with Darnell, she was not able to breathe and subsequently lost consciousness.
“When victim regained consciousness, she was on the floor and [Darnell] then ripped off the victim's shorts, causing a scratch to victim's upper thigh,” the warrant alleged. “After ripping victim's shorts, [Darnell] demanded to see victim's private area and told victim she was his and no one else's.”
Tatahda told authorities, per the warrant, that Darnell’s alleged actions “placed her in fear of being sexually assaulted.”
The warrant also stated that before Darnell left the home, he allegedly took his estranged wife's credit/debit card and her ID.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Police were called and took photos of Tatahda's alleged injuries, which included “redness, scratches and pain to her neck and a scratch to her upper thigh,” the warrant added. Tatahda was transported to the hospital for medical treatment.
PEOPLE couldn’t immediately identify an attorney for Tatahda.
Darnell is described by the Food Network website as a celebrity chef, restaurateur and entrepreneur, who currently hosts Superchef Grudge Match. In early 2023, he co-hosted Season 25 of Worst Cooks in America alongside Anne Burrell.
He also is a frequent judge on Chopped and Guy’s Grocery Games, competed on three seasons of Guy Fieri's Tournament of Champions and has recently appeared on OWN’s The Big Holiday Food Fight and Food Fantasies.
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.
