Steve Urkel Actor Responds to Domestic Abuse Claims
Jaleel White, best known for his role as teenage nerd Steve Urkel on the sitcom "Family Matters," has grown into a man who is facing some rather unfortunate claims of domestic abuse from his former girlfriend and mother of his daughter.
In 2010, in an interview with Star Magazine, White's ex-girlfriend Bridget Hardy accused him of hitting her in the chest, and shoving her into a toilet so hard the toilet broke. And yesterday White finally spoke out and offered a response, People Magazine reports.
In a statement to the press, the former "Family Matters" star and current "Dancing with the Stars" contestant explained that Hardy's claims were not true.
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"When you're doing well in life, it's par for the course certain individuals will try and knock you down. When the individual is also the mother of your only child it is particularly hurtful," he said.
White denies the allegations, and said that Hardy is just trying to attack him to gain custody of their daughter.
"I can assure all of my fans [Hardy's allegations are] only residue from a child custody matter," he told People magazine.
White does not go into many specifics in his defense for concern that too much public discussion of the issues will prove harmful.
"As much as I would love to go detail for detail refuting Ms. Hardy's claims about the specifics of what was our relationship, the family court judge made it very clear to me any public discussion of our case and ordeal would be held against me in a court of law," White said.
White told People magazine that his greatest concern is for his daughter.
"My only hope is that when my daughter Googles her parents one day in her future, she sees that her father acted with class and dignity when pressed to the fire."
