Update by Celebitchy: As many of you have pointed out, Brooke may be suffering from “battered women’s syndrome.” It seems unfair to call her dumb or somehow motivated by money. We don’t know what her motivations are or what she’s going through, and she may legitimately fear for her life. She may also have more embarrassing things in her past that Charlie is holding over her head. It does seem a little strange that she went out partying, but maybe she wanted to get out of the house and show people that she’s fine. She is likely under a lot of pressure to keep up appearances. Denise Richards also went back to Charlie several times hoping to make the marriage work. This guy is very troubled and violent and I hope for Brooke’s sake she gets out soon.

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I’ve come to the conclusion that Brooke Mueller isn’t quite who I thought she was. Yes, I totally believe her husband Charlie Sheen was violent towards her, not just on Christmas day, but probably several times before. Yes, I think that no matter who Brooke really is or what she’s really like, no woman deserves to be strangled and threatened with a knife by their husband. But I also think Brooke is an idiot. And her stupidity is going to make it even more difficult to get Charlie Sheen in jail, where he likely belongs. Today, there’s a lot of news about Brooke, her past and her future. First up, she hired a lawyer who promptly issued a statement claiming that Brooke wants to attempt a reconciliation with Charlie. Jesus:

Brooke Mueller wants to save her marriage to Charlie Sheen.

Mueller, 32, has hired Yale Galanter, the criminal defense attorney who once represented OJ Simpson, TMZ reports. Galanter may assist Mueller should she be charged with making a false police report about the now-infamous Christmas Day incident with Sheen, in which she accused him of threatening her with a knife.

Galanter tells TMZ that Mueller in no way concocted or exaggerated her story of Sheen’s threats. Instead, he says, she did “minimize her story, like many wives in a similar situation do, when they realize their husband could go to jail.”

Regardless, Mueller would like to amend the restraining order in order to get back in touch with her estranged husband. She wants to “work on resolving the conflicts in their marriage,” Galanter says. The famed attorney notes to TMZ that his client did not realize her husband would be arrested when she made her frantic 911 call — but the star’s wife has absolutely no plans to recant her story.

[From Us Weekly]

Is Brooke really this dumb, or is she crazy like a fox? There were a lot of rumors that Brooke and Charlie business and management team were in contact, and they were negotiating some kind of financial package for Brooke in exchange for a divorce and Brooke’s formal recanting of her Christmas charges. Of course, those reports went hand-in-hand with some stories about how Charlie’s team was on the attack, looking to make Brooke look bad. Which could be why we’re hearing more about Brooke’s felony record… for cocaine possession. Brooke also has a DUI under her belt, and a charge of “damage to property”.

Years before Brooke Mueller’s Christmas 2009 incident with husband Charlie Sheen — he faces up to eight years in prison for alleged assault — the future celebrity wife was building a rap sheet of her own.

Mueller, now 32, was arrested twice in the state of Florida, RadarOnline reports. In September 1996, she was cuffed for DUI and damage to property. She got into deeper trouble in March 2001, when she was arrested for cocaine possession — a third-degree felony.

In the aftermath of her Dec. 25 fight with Sheen (a sworn affidavit reveals that he threatened her with a knife), Mueller was spotted having a low-key celebration with friends at Aspen celeb hangout Caribou Club on Monday. Her twins with Sheen, Bob and Max (born earlier this year) were photographed in the care of a nanny earlier that day.

Meanwhile, Arnold Mordkin, the Pitkin County, Colorado District Attorney who may prosecute Sheen, tells UsMagazine.com the case is “going on the backburner” until a February court date.

Mordkin tells Us that he has until Feb. 8 to decide whether or not to decide to file charges against Sheen. In the meantime, he plans to “carefully review” police reports, and may ask for additional investigative work before making his decision. As for reports that Mueller may not be cooperating with police, the District Attorney says the case could go forward with or without her. “In a domestic violence case, one does need to have the complaining witness to help out, so to speak,” he explains, “but that can be acquired by a subpoena and testimony required.”

[From Us Weekly]

If Brooke really does recant her story, I have to think the prosecutor will be hard-pressed to follow through on the felony charges. Which is probably the reason for all of this – there’s a whole team of people doing damage control, and they’re a lot smarter, tougher and better organized than Tiger Woods’ team.

Meanwhile, life goes on. Charlie Sheen is expected to be back at work next week with little drama, as Hollywood will probably look the other way for one of their favorite sons. And, Brooke decided it would be great for her image to go out partying in Aspen two nights ago – there were reports that she was at the same club as Paris Hilton, Doug Reinhardt and Gerard Butler, and that Brooke “stayed until closing time.” Dumb, dumb, dumb. Here’s Brooke’s mugshot from 2001:

Brooke’s mugshot courtesy of Us Weekly.