Michelle Branch Arrested for Domestic Assault, Accuses Husband Patrick Carney of Cheating

Gil Kaufman
·2 min read
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Michelle Branch was arrested by Nashville police on Thursday (Aug. 11) after officers were called to the house she shares with husband Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney to investigate a possible domestic disturbance. According to a copy of the arrest report obtained by Billboard, Branch, 39, was arrested for misdemeanor domestic assault and released on $1,000 bond in the incident that appears to have taken place shortly before the singer announced her split from Carney, 42, amid her claims that the drummer had committed adultery.

TMZ reported that according to court documents, Branch admitted to slapping Carney in the face “one or two times.” Carney reportedly did not have any visible injuries and Branch was taken into custody, and then reportedly released quickly because she is still breastfeeding the couple’s 6-month-old baby.

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Spokespeople for Branch and Carney have not yet returned Billboard‘s requests for additional comment.

Branch accused Carney of cheating on her in a since-deleted tweet, telling People in a statement, “To say that I am totally devastated doesn’t even come close to describing how I feel for myself and for my family. The rug has been completely pulled from underneath me and now I must figure out how to move forward. With such small children, I ask for privacy and kindness.”

The musicians, who first met in 2015 and were married in April 2019, have two children: 4-year-old son Rhys James and 6-month-old daughter Willie Jacquet. Branch is also mother to 17-year-old daughter Owen Isabelle from her previous marriage to bassist Teddy Landau, whom she separated from in 2014.

Branch was ordered to return to court in the incident on Nov. 7.

The Black Keys are currently touring in support of their 11th album, Dropout Boogie, which was released just months ago in May, while Branch is gearing up to release her fourth album,The Trouble With Fever, on Sept. 16.

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