Eric Greitens’ ex-wife is accusing the former Missouri Governor — who is now a leading Republican candidate for the US Senate — of being physically violent toward their two young children, ages 7 and 5.
In an affidavit filed Monday in an ongoing child custody dispute, Sheena Greitens, a professor at the University of Texas at Austin, accused her ex of “unstable and coercive behavior” that included physical abuse.
She said in her statement:
“In early June 2018, I became afraid for my safety and that of our children at our home. This behavior included physical violence toward our children, such as cuffing our then three-year-old son across the face at the dinner table in front of me and yanking him around by his hair.”
Greitens went on to describe an incident in April 2018, before they divorced, during which her husband allegedly “knocked me down and confiscated my cell phone, wallet, and keys so that I was unable to call for help or extricate myself and our children from our home at Innsbrook, Missouri.”
She then alleged in the affidavit that one of their sons “came home from a visit with Eric with a swollen face, bleeding gums, and loose tooth,” claiming:
“He said Dad had hit him; however, Eric said they were roughhousing and it had been an accident. Due to the trauma, the tooth died, eventually abscessed, and had to be surgically removed in May 2020.”
He knocked his tooth out?? That’s so horrible if true…
Moreover, Sheena claimed the politician threatened suicide in the spring and early summer of 2018 if she didn’t provide “specific public political support” for the then-governor, who was facing a sex scandal after admitting to having an affair with a hairstylist.
She alleged that her and others’ worries over Eric’s threat to kill himself prompted attempts to “intervene to limit Eric’s access to firearms on at least three separate occasions.” She explained:
“As I became afraid of the escalation of physical violence in early June 2018, I begged Eric to tell me where his firearm was — one that he had purchased in January 2018 and subsequently concealed from me. He refused, saying that I was not being sufficiently ‘cooperative.’ I started sleeping in my children’s room simply to try to keep them safe.”
The mother-of-two requested that their custody case be moved to the Austin area to avoid media attention, as her ex campaigns in Missouri to succeed retiring Senator Roy Blunt in the upcoming election.
For his part, Eric called his ex-wife’s claims “completely fabricated, baseless allegations” in a statement on Twitter Monday, writing:
“I have faith, and I know that ultimately truth will always prevail. Being a father is the joy of my life and my single most important responsibility. I will continue to love and care for my beautiful sons with all of my being, and that includes fighting for the truth.”
The politician also said his ex-wife was recently in Washington, DC, and suggested she met with “political operatives.” Yes, he’s pulling a Trump and implying this is all a big conspiracy against him. Yeesh.
He also announced he’s seeking full custody of the boys, writing:
“For their sake, I will continue to pray for their mother and hope that she gets the help that she needs.”
The help she needs??
This year’s Republican primary in Missouri is set for August 2. Representative Vicky Hartzler, who announced her senate bid in February, called on Greitens to drop out of the race, saying in a video statement shared on Facebook:
“I just wanted to comment on the news today that Eric Greitens’ ex-wife Sheena, revealed that when they were married, he physically abused her and their children, and he used the power of the governors office to silence and intimidate her. Well I have one thing that I want to say – real men never abuse women and children. Period. End of story. It’s time for Eric get out of the Senate race, and get professional help.”
Republican Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri has endorsed Hartzler and also called on Greitens to end his campaign. He wrote on Twitter:
“If you hit a woman or a child, you belong in handcuffs, not the United States Senate. It’s time for Eric Greitens to leave this race.”
We suppose we’ll find out soon enough if Greitens bows out — or if once again, none of it matters and he gets put in office anyway.
Thoughts on this?
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