Christina Ricci tells court husband is ‘violent abuser’ amid domestic abuse allegations

Priti Patel announces campaign to help domestic abuse victims

The actress, who shot to fame as Wednesday in the 1991 film The Addams Family, submitted photographs to a court of bruising on her hands, wrists and arms. Ms Ricci, 40, told the jury they were the result of attacks by her husband James Heerdegen and that she had “found herself trapped in a house with a violent abuser” during lockdown. She claimed Heerdegen had assaulted her on multiple occasions, leaving her in fear for her safety and that of their son Freddie, six.

Heerdegen was ordered by the Los Angeles court to remain at least 100 yards from his wife and their son and not to have any contact with them.

Ms Ricci alleged Heerdegen started his pattern of abuse in a December 2019 incident in which he beat her up, spat on her and mocked her with pig noises.

Ms Ricci said the attack convinced her she had to divorce. Heerdegen’s lawyer Larry Bakman said he “unequivocally denies all allegations of abuse made by Ms Ricci as having occurred in 2020”.

Heerdegen intends to file a restraining order against Ms Ricci that will reveal “her abusive conduct fuelled by alcohol and substance abuse”, Mr Bakman said.

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Ms Ricci and Heerdegen started a relationship in 2011.

They met on set of the TV drama Pan Am, in which she was starring while he was working as a technician.

They announced their engagement in February 2013 and married that October.

They exchanged vows in front of family and friends in New York.

Ms Ricci has spoken about how marriage and motherhood have changed her.

She said in 2017: “Marriage shows you your flaws in how you deal with things and having a child forces you to grow up at the speed of light.

“I’m a completely different person than I was before I had my child.

“As I was so celebrated for being a child, I think I held on to that immaturity for a very long time.

“It was the thing that made me special.

“Then at a certain point, like 35, it’s not so special to be immature.”

Ms Ricci made her film debut aged 10 in Mermaids.

She went on to star in Sleepy Hollow, with Johnny Depp, and Monster, in 2003.

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