At the start of August, I never would have predicted that Michelle Branch has a quiet hive of supporters willing to march to Nashville to protect their queen. But that’s what happened, metaphorically. It all started when Michelle tweeted early one morning that she just learned her husband, Patrick Carney, was cheating on her while she cares for their six-month-old baby. Shortly after she tweeted that, cops arrived at the Branch-Carney home and Michelle was arrested for “assault.” The assault was slapping Patrick Carney when she learned of his affair. The dude pressed charges and she was hauled off to jail, booked and kept in custody for about six hours before she was released. The next day, she filed for divorce. Now there’s an update – the domestic assault case has been dismissed.
The domestic assault case brought against Michelle Branch by her estranged husband, Patrick Carney, has been dismissed. During a court appearance Wednesday, Judge Gale Robinson dropped the “Everywhere” singer’s charge of domestic assault by offensive/provocative conduct at the request of the state of Tennessee, court records seen by Page Six show.
The reason listed for the dismissal was that both parties had reached a settlement.
Branch, 39, was arrested on Aug. 11 after admitting to police, who had arrived at the couple’s Nashville home in response to a potential domestic disturbance, that she slapped the Black Keys rocker, 42, “in the facial area one to two times.” She was released from jail the same day after posting $1,000 bail.
Less than a week after her arrest, the “Goodbye to You” singer filed for divorce from Carney, citing irreconcilable differences as the cause of the split. In addition to requesting that the drummer pay her legal fees, Branch reportedly asked for primary custody of son Rhys, 3, and daughter Willie, 6 months, as well as child support.
There’s no information about the “settlement” but it seems pretty quick to talk about any kind of divorce settlement, right? I wonder if this is more like a show of good faith, with Branch and Carney speaking and agreeing that the charges should be dropped and that they need to quickly work through their divorce. Either that or Branch simply made some kind of deal with the DA where she agreed to go to some anger-management class in exchange for dropping the charges. Anyway, Carney sounds like a massive douche and I hope Branch takes him to the cleaners.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- 148241, Michelle Branch and Patrick Carney arrive at Universal Music Group’s 2016 GRAMMY After Party at The Theatre At The Ace Hotel in Los Angeles. Los Angeles, California – Monday February 15, 2016. Photograph: © Joe Sutter, PacificCoastNews.,Image: 507007536, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – DIRECT SALES ONLY – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Joe Sutter, PacificCoastNews / Avalon
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- 148241, Michelle Branch arrives at Universal Music Group’s 2016 GRAMMY After Party at The Theatre At The Ace Hotel in Los Angeles. Los Angeles, California – Monday February 15, 2016. Photograph: © Joe Sutter, PacificCoastNews.,Image: 525551398, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – DIRECT SALES ONLY – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Photoshot – sales@photoshot.com London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Joe Sutter, PacificCoastNews / Avalon
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- 148241, Michelle Branch and Patrick Carney arrive at Universal Music Group’s 2016 GRAMMY After Party at The Theatre At The Ace Hotel in Los Angeles. Los Angeles, California – Monday February 15, 2016. Photograph: © Joe Sutter, PacificCoastNews. Los Angeles Office: +1 310.822.0419,Image: 532164765, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS, DIRECT SALES ONLY UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE IN CAPTION – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: Joe Sutter, PacificCoastNews / Avalon
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- , Los Angeles, CA – 02/15/16 -Universal Music Group’s 2016 Grammy After Party -PICTURED: Michelle Branch -PHOTO by: Vince Flores/startraksphoto.com -VIF62750 Editorial – Rights Managed Image – Please contact www.startraksphoto.com for licensing fee Startraks Photo New York, NY Image may not be published in any way that is or might be deemed defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification or question you may have. Startraks Photo reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image. If you violate our intellectual property you may be liable for actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image, and where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or statutory damages. Featuring: Michelle Branch Where: Los Angeles, California, United States When: 15 Feb 2016 Credit: Vince Flores/startraksphoto.com
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- , Los Angeles, CA – 02/15/16 -Universal Music Group’s 2016 Grammy After Party -PICTURED: Michelle Branch -PHOTO by: Vince Flores/startraksphoto.com -VIF62756 Editorial – Rights Managed Image – Please contact www.startraksphoto.com for licensing fee Startraks Photo New York, NY Image may not be published in any way that is or might be deemed defamatory, libelous, pornographic, or obscene. Please consult our sales department for any clarification or question you may have. Startraks Photo reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image. If you violate our intellectual property you may be liable for actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image, and where appropriate, the cost of collection and/or statutory damages. Featuring: Michelle Branch Where: Los Angeles, California, United States When: 15 Feb 2016 Credit: Vince Flores/startraksphoto.com
Violence is wrong and I bet he didn’t want it made public what he said that got him slapped. People have limits and bullying spouses know them.
I hope she takes him to the cleaners too. What a horrible cheating punk. Just stay single if you want to f*ck around. I know folks are saying that they got together during his previous marriage but I wonder what the truth is there? He is clearly a cheater and that goes with lies. We do not know what he told Michelle and the former wife. Regardless, he’s awful and I hope that she and her children will heal from this.
He’s only 42 years old??? That’s a hard 42.
As I understand he is a serial cheater and he cheated on his last wife with with Michelle. Honey, if he cheats with you he will cheat on you.
Run, girl run and get that cash.
moral of the story is if you don’t want to be embarrassed, don’t be a douchebag and keep your parts in your pants. also it’s real simple if you can’t be faithful keep your ass single. while nobody is debating violence is not a good thing, however there are situations like this and even situations where it’s even worse along these lines where if you were a good person you wouldn’t be in a position to have violence against you. and to be honest for her to have that kind of reaction against him this is probably the first time she found out about him actually cheating but maybe had suspicions and she snapped, and you know what I’m not holding it against her. it’s real old and tired of all these selfish and nasty behind people who can’t be honest with themselves and others on what they want, and then they go destroying hearts and families they create and people can’t understand why sometimes someone might snap out of emotion and pain like that and clobber them.
I’m sorry but he gets no sympathy he got what he deserved. he’s lucky there’s some that do way worse than that especially if they’re crazy male or female. people need to start realizing especially this day and age you need to stop playing with people’s emotions and feelings and leave them alone if you can’t be immature adult in a situation without destroying other people’s lives because it has consequences whether it’s physical consequences monetary, whatever there are consequences when you destroy people’s hearts.
I’d like to add that if he cheats without protection he is endangering her life and their daughter’s. That’s also an act of violence.
He looks like an old version of one of the rejected contestants at an X-Factor audition.
LOL that’s not how a mature relationship, marriage or divorce *should* work.
Take him to the cleaners lol.
Get a fair divorce settlement and custody but this whole revenge fantasy thing people have is so immature and not feminist.
Be civil, be adult, fight for what you deserve. Nothing more nothing less.
You get what you give in life. 💯
The word on the street at the time they got together was that they had an affair while he was married. So I mean … maybe it is somewhat a case of getting what you put out there.
Unless we learn she was a serial abuser, I think Carney is a major tool for having her arrested. She should have never laid hands, but this is the mother of his children, likely in zero sleep mode taking care of their 6 month old baby and who just found out he was cheating on her. Context matters. Maybe she is suffering from postpartum depression.
Anyway, I’ve always thought Pat Carney was lame and the Black Keys music is uninspired and derivative. Hope she gets a giant chunk of the $ he made off their basic music.
I 100% agree Mia Girl!! I was so mad when this first went up and people were calling this domestic violence and saying defending Branch was gender bias. Domestic violence is about control and dominance. Victims who hit back are not abusers and i dont think an underslept new mom slapping someone once because she found out he cheated is abuse! If the birthing parent was a man it would not change how I feel about that.
Agreed.
She finds out he’s having an affair with his manager and then he has her arrested. Cool.
IDK the exact level of violence that was inflicted upon him, but the size differential alone makes it hard for me to believe that she inflicted any real damage. And ofc I realize that we never know what goes on behind closed doors–maybe she really is an abuser–but a seemingly isolated incident like this doesn’t do much to prove that theory.
His first wife wrote a really long essay (in Salon, I think??) about being married to him and he sounds like a huge POS.
My friend slapped a cheating husband when he came home to her and their 8-month-old. He called the cops on her. These men are the forking worst.
My daughters father had me arrested about a month after I filed for divorce. On false domestic assault charges. Not only did I have to spend 22 hours in jail, but I was barred from returning to my home for 9 months while the charges and divorce got sorted out. It was simply a power play to get a leg up during our divorce and move in his girlfriend into my home… party all summer and fall and not pay any bills. All charges were dismissed because they were lies that were proven to be just that, but it was expensive and completely distracting and hung over my head during the divorce. Perspective from the other side 2.5 years post : Honestly the no contact order was the best thing that ever happened and allowed me to move forward with the divorce and not be in contact with the narcissistic abuser who had controlled my life for many years. But this is definitely a power play that is used often in divorces by the abusive partner. It’s meant to make the other party look unstable and leave a permanent record of them being the abusive ones, when usually it is the other way around.
JFC I’m so sorry that happened to you. Glad you rid your life of that vindictive loser.
Me too. <3
Thanks, kitten. Me too. Unfortunately the desire to abuse and control doesn’t magically disappear after you divorce. I’m still dealing with him through the courts for numerous and consistent violations of custody agreements. But that is an entirely different story. This story really resonated with me. Because we don’t know all the details, and we never will. I just know how common it is for the abuser to use this tactic and paint the victim as the abuser. They get off on this kind of stuff. Then when the victim finally snaps and “fights back” even in the smallest way or loses their cool and melts down they can say, “see? Everyone knows you are the crazy one.”
That is the vibe I got from the these reports – a man who has been divorced several times already knew how to drop the hammer on his wife with charges. Now he has something big to hold over her head when, without that, he’s the cheating POS who would get hosed in the settlement.
Homewrecker surprised when husband cheats again….there, fixed the headline for you. Carney cheated on wife 1 and she wrote an article for a major publication about the disintegration of their marriage. Carney cheated on wife 2 with Michelle Branch. Branch knew exactly what she was getting with Carney’s wandering p, and she lost him the way she got him. #teamnobody
At first, I was really furious with this whole thing, but after thinking it through… I mean, it very publicly sets the precedent that a husband slapping you in the face should get you sent to prison based on spousal say-so, no witnesses, etc. If little tiny Michelle Branch is a domestic abuser, then any man who does anything similar is a domestic abuser. We should all fight for that fairness, dangit. Bring up this incident at every given moment. If Michelle Branch gets thrown in jail, then any man who lays hands on a woman should get thrown in jail. Poof, end of story. The utter ridiculousness of it all makes it increasingly hard for men to argue that they’re innocent or in the right for roughing us up… Can’t have it both ways, buds. After all, a mere slap = jail for a woman now, losers. Most women are physically less strong than men, so logic stands that a slap from a man would hurt WAAAAY more and should definitely get the same jail treatment if not worse. So please, egotistical men, please keep digging your own law and logic graves by spite jailing your women to set the precedents.