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Reality stars head for divorce after domestic violence allegation

by | Aug 16, 2012 | Domestic Violence, Firm News |

Domestic violence is an all-too-common occurrence in divorce cases — and sometimes it can lead directly to one of the parties in a marriage to file for divorce. This appears to be the case with a high-profile couple known for their TV courtship and high-profile careers: Chad Johnson and Evelyn Lozada.

Lozada announced this week that she was filing for divorce from Johnson, six weeks after the pair got married. Johnson was arrested over the weekend for allegedly head-butting Lozada during an argument; Johnson says it was Lozada who was the aggressor. In any case, Johnson was arrested and Lozada says that by making the couple’s issues public, she hopes other women will be encouraged to break their silence regarding domestic violence.

The journey from courtship to divorce papers was not a long one. Johnson became a presence on Lozada’s reality show “Basketball Wives” after she broke up with her ex-NBA star fiancé. Johnson, a football Pro Bowler known for the last few years as Chad Ochocinco, relished the spotlight and the couple had plans for their own spinoff reality show. Their July wedding was scheduled to be part of their new show on VH1, “Ev & Ocho,” but the series was scuttled after the domestic incident and divorce filing.

Aside from his marriage and his impending TV show, Johnson also lost his primary job. His new team, the Miami Dolphins, released him before he could even play a regular-season game with the club. While some experts speculate that Johnson’s football career might be over, he seems likely to stay in the spotlight at least until the divorce and his legal woes are resolved.

Source: Los Angeles Times, “Chad Johnson arrest: 911 call, Evelyn Lozada statement released,” Chuck Schilken, Aug. 14, 2012

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