Andrew Cullen/Reuters
Michael Avenatti, lawyer for porn star Stormy Daniels, told reporters he “has never struck a woman” after he was released from Los Angeles Police Department custody late Wednesday following an arrest on a felony domestic violence charge. The LAPD had earlier said Avenatti was arrested and had bail set at $50,000, while a police spokesman said his alleged victim had visible injuries. Avenatti has denied the allegations and called for an investigation, describing his arrest as an attempt at intimidation. “I wish to thank the hard working men and woman of the LAPD for their professionalism they were only doing their jobs in light of the completely bogus allegations against me,” he said in a statement. “I have never been physically abusive in my life nor was I last night. Any accusations to the contrary are fabricated and meant to do harm to my reputation. I look forward to being fully exonerated.” TMZ reported earlier that Avenatti was arrested after his “estranged wife” filed a domestic violence report. However, lawyers for Lisa Storie-Avenatti told BuzzFeed News she was “not subject to any such incident” and she had “never known Michael to be physically violent toward anyone.” Avenatti has gained fame since representing Daniels, who claims to have had an affair with President Trump. He also floated a possible 2020 presidential run.