In her lawsuit, Ghent, the Oscar-nominated actor's second ex-wife, alleged that during a trip with his kids to Costa Rica in 2013, she told Howard she thought they should break up and an argument ensued, during which he allegedly sucker punched her in the face, grabbed her by the neck, pushed her against a wall and strangled her for several seconds before his son-in-law Billy rushed in to intervene.
She said that the actor later charged toward her and she pepper-sprayed him and that he swung his arms and caused her to fall, after which he allegedly "mule-kicked" her in the head and shoulders." She said she later drive to her sister's rental house and called police.
Howard told authorities at the time that had just had a "normal married fight" and that Ghent "got too worked up" and "threatened" to kill him and his family, then used pepper spray to "attack" them. He also said she had previously been suicidal and was hospitalized for paranoia.
Ghent had previously filed a restraining order against Howard in 2011, claiming he routinely abused her and threatened to kill her. In 2001, Howard was arrested on charges that he attacked his then-wife, Lori McCommas. He later pleaded guilty to disturbing the peace.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7prvNpaCnnV6YvK57zZ6urGdoaIV4gJhoq56qopq7pLGMoaawmaKZerS8xJqirGWfqsFurcGorK1llKS6pr%2FToppmrpmkuaa6wp5knaell7mmedKtmKeckaex