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| Don McLean says he is 'not a villain', following his domestic violence arrest | Don McLean says he is 'not a villain', following his domestic violence arrest |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Don McLean said on Thursday that his domestic violence arrest this week stemmed from “the very painful breakdown” of his long marriage and asked fans not to judge him. | Don McLean said on Thursday that his domestic violence arrest this week stemmed from “the very painful breakdown” of his long marriage and asked fans not to judge him. |
| McLean, 70, the singer-songwriter behind 1970s his such as American Pie and Vincent, was arrested on Monday at his home in Camden, Maine, where he lives with his photographer wife Patrisha. | McLean, 70, the singer-songwriter behind 1970s his such as American Pie and Vincent, was arrested on Monday at his home in Camden, Maine, where he lives with his photographer wife Patrisha. |
| Related: American Pie singer Don Mclean arrested on domestic violence charge | Related: American Pie singer Don Mclean arrested on domestic violence charge |
| Authorities did not give details of the incident but the Portland Press Herald newspaper on Thursday reported that the singer’s wife has since obtained a restraining order against him, citing long-term anger issues. | Authorities did not give details of the incident but the Portland Press Herald newspaper on Thursday reported that the singer’s wife has since obtained a restraining order against him, citing long-term anger issues. |
| In his first comments, McLean said in a statement on his official website that the past year had been “hard emotional times for my wife, my children and me. What is occurring is the very painful breakdown of an almost 30-year relationship. Our hearts are broken and we must carry on. | In his first comments, McLean said in a statement on his official website that the past year had been “hard emotional times for my wife, my children and me. What is occurring is the very painful breakdown of an almost 30-year relationship. Our hearts are broken and we must carry on. |
| “There are no winners or losers but I am not a villain … I ask God to give us the strength to find new happiness and I hope people will realize that this will all be resolved, but I hope I will not be judged in this frantic media environment,” he added. | “There are no winners or losers but I am not a villain … I ask God to give us the strength to find new happiness and I hope people will realize that this will all be resolved, but I hope I will not be judged in this frantic media environment,” he added. |
| Patrisha McLean’s statement to police detailed the incident that led her to call the police. “On Jan. 17, Don terrorized me for four hours until the 911 call that I think might have saved my life,” she wrote. “He was scaring me with the intensity of his rage and the craziness in his eyes.” The couple have been married for 30 years, and though she said he had been prone to rage for the first decade of their marriage, he had exercised much better control over the subsequent 20 years. | Patrisha McLean’s statement to police detailed the incident that led her to call the police. “On Jan. 17, Don terrorized me for four hours until the 911 call that I think might have saved my life,” she wrote. “He was scaring me with the intensity of his rage and the craziness in his eyes.” The couple have been married for 30 years, and though she said he had been prone to rage for the first decade of their marriage, he had exercised much better control over the subsequent 20 years. |
| “My husband has/had a violent temper,” she wrote on her submission to Rockland District Court, in which she asked for a restraining order. “For the first 10 years or so his rage was unfathomably deep and very scary – calling me horrible things like ‘hebe’ (I’m Jewish).” | |
| After her statement was made public, she called the Portland Press Herald to state that McLean’s temper was “only one side of him”. | After her statement was made public, she called the Portland Press Herald to state that McLean’s temper was “only one side of him”. |
| “I was blindsided by this report being made public. Don is not a monster,” she said. | “I was blindsided by this report being made public. Don is not a monster,” she said. |
| McLean is due to appear in court in February. | McLean is due to appear in court in February. |
| American Pie, his 1971 ode to personal and cultural upheaval, was named a song of the century by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. McLean’s original working manuscript was auctioned for $1.2m last year. | American Pie, his 1971 ode to personal and cultural upheaval, was named a song of the century by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts. McLean’s original working manuscript was auctioned for $1.2m last year. |