Yesterday, we posted a story about Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante and his wife being arrested for domestic battery in front of a child. It seemed very out of character for Benante, who always struck me as a nice guy. Today, Benante's lawyer sent out an official statement giving Charlie's side of the story and it doesn't look pretty:
Last Friday night, Charlie Benante, drummer for the rock band Anthrax, was assaulted several times during an altercation that sent him to the emergency room with a gash at the back of his head that required several staples to close.
Mr. Benante and his six-year old daughter Mia had traveled to Elkart, IN to meet Mrs. Benante and her 17-year old son who was participating in a weekend baseball series. At some point, words were exchanged between Mr. Benante, Mrs. Benante and her male companion that led to a scuffle. Mrs. Benante hit Mr. Benante in the face, he pushed her away, and as he turned around to leave with Mia, Mrs. Benante assaulted him from behind, hitting him multiple times on the back of his head with a cell phone. Police were called, and both Mr. Benante and Mrs. Benante were detained for domestic battery in front of a child.
Mr. Benante is understandably distraught by this incident and that his daughter, who he dotes on, witnessed it.
Mr. Benante will appear in Elkhart County court this Friday, August 3, and we expect complete vindication.
So, I guess Charlie and his wife are splitsville and the drama from that lead to some sort of altercation, with Charlie getting the rough end of the stick and some negative publicity to boot. Hopefully, this whole mess will get sorted out soon.
