Terrence Howard: My racist wife threatened to kill me
Hustle & Flow star Terrence Howard claims his estranged wife, Michelle, threatened to kill him
The months-long Terrence Howard-Michelle Ghent conflict, which gossipers have dubbed the ugliest divorce of the year, has gone nuclear.
Michelle filed for divorce in a Los Angeles court in February, barely a year after their January 2010 wedding. Things have seriously deteriorated since, with each side claiming they were victims of extreme violence at the hands of the other.
Terrence, 42, who maintains a manse in Lafayette Hill, just filed for a restraining order in L.A. County Superior Court against his estranged wife, claiming she is a clear and present danger to his life.
Court papers obtained by TMZ contain shocking allegations against Michelle.
Terrence maintains that Michelle transformed during their marriage from "a loving, gentle" woman to a monstrous, hate-filled, foul-mouthed racist.
Noting that he is black while Michelle is not, Terrence says his wife insulted him using racist epithets.
"[I] never wanted to marry a n-- in the first place," Terrence claims she said, according to court papers.
According to him, she went on to say, "[I] definitely didn't want to be the step mother of some n-- kids," referring to Terrence's kids with his ex-wife of 14 years, Lori McCommas. Terrence and Lori wed in 1989, divorced in 2003, then remarried in 2005 and re-divorced in 2007. They have two daughters and a son.
Terrence further charges that Michelle is so gripped by jealousy, that she twice went at him with a bottle after seeing him chat with other women.
In court papers, he asserts that she threatened to have him "clipped" (killed) if he exposed her attempt to extort him. (He claims Michelle threatened to release an embarrassing video which reportedly shows him doing something silly in a state of undress.)
"I have a lot of Russian friends," he claims Michelle said, "who would do it as a favor."
Michelle's lawyer has yet to return TMZ's calls for comment.
Michelle alleges she was the one abused
Terrence's claims -- and his request for a restraining order -- mirror allegations his wife made earlier this month in another court filing which TMZ says it also has obtained.
In the papers, Michelle says the Hustle & Flow star began verbally and physically abusing her just seven days after their wedding.
On one occasion, she claims, Terrence "slugged me across my face and neck," then threatened to throw her off a balcony. Michelle cites a half a dozen other incidents when Terrence allegedly hit her, punched her and threatened to murder her.
On Dec. 6, Superior Court Judge Scott Gordon granted Michelle's request for a restraining order which orders Terrence to stay 100 yards away from her at all times.
Terrence denies he ever assaulted or threatened her.
His application for a restraining order will be reviewed at a Jan. 17 court date.