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| Charles Saatchi says restaurant row with Nigella Lawson was 'playful tiff' | Charles Saatchi says restaurant row with Nigella Lawson was 'playful tiff' |
| (4 months later) | |
| Charles Saatchi, the former advertising mogul and multimillionaire art collector, has defended repeatedly grabbing his wife by the throat in a restaurant, saying he was "attempting to emphasise my point". | Charles Saatchi, the former advertising mogul and multimillionaire art collector, has defended repeatedly grabbing his wife by the throat in a restaurant, saying he was "attempting to emphasise my point". |
| Several pictures showing Saatchi with his hand around Nigella Lawson's neck as they sat outside Scott's restaurant in Mayfair, central London, were published by the Sunday People. On one occasion he raised a second hand towards her throat and on another pinched or grabbed her nose. The celebrity cook looked upset and left the restaurant in tears. | Several pictures showing Saatchi with his hand around Nigella Lawson's neck as they sat outside Scott's restaurant in Mayfair, central London, were published by the Sunday People. On one occasion he raised a second hand towards her throat and on another pinched or grabbed her nose. The celebrity cook looked upset and left the restaurant in tears. |
| Saatchi said the pictures showed a "playful tiff". He told the London Evening Standard – for which he is a columnist – that the pictures gave a "more drastic and violent impression" of the incident than had been the case. | Saatchi said the pictures showed a "playful tiff". He told the London Evening Standard – for which he is a columnist – that the pictures gave a "more drastic and violent impression" of the incident than had been the case. |
| "About a week ago we were sitting outside a restaurant having an intense debate about the children, and I held Nigella's neck repeatedly while attempting to emphasise my point," he said. "There was no grip, it was a playful tiff. The pictures are horrific but give a far more drastic and violent impression of what took place. Nigella's tears were because we both hate arguing, not because she had been hurt." | "About a week ago we were sitting outside a restaurant having an intense debate about the children, and I held Nigella's neck repeatedly while attempting to emphasise my point," he said. "There was no grip, it was a playful tiff. The pictures are horrific but give a far more drastic and violent impression of what took place. Nigella's tears were because we both hate arguing, not because she had been hurt." |
| He said the pair had reconciled by the time they got home. "We had made up by the time we were home. The paparazzi were congregated outside our house after the story broke yesterday morning, so I told Nigella to take the kids off till the dust settled." | He said the pair had reconciled by the time they got home. "We had made up by the time we were home. The paparazzi were congregated outside our house after the story broke yesterday morning, so I told Nigella to take the kids off till the dust settled." |
| Asked to comment on reports that Lawson had moved out of the family home, her spokesman said: "I can clarify that she has left the family home with her children." Lawson has made no comment since the pictures emerged. | Asked to comment on reports that Lawson had moved out of the family home, her spokesman said: "I can clarify that she has left the family home with her children." Lawson has made no comment since the pictures emerged. |
| Scotland Yard said it was aware of the pictures but had not received a formal complaint from Lawson or any member of the public. "Inquiries are in hand to establish the facts in order to assess whether an investigation is necessary," said a spokesman. | Scotland Yard said it was aware of the pictures but had not received a formal complaint from Lawson or any member of the public. "Inquiries are in hand to establish the facts in order to assess whether an investigation is necessary," said a spokesman. |
| A witness described the incident as shocking. "I have no doubt she was scared," the onlooker told the Sunday People. "It was horrific, really. She was very tearful and was constantly dabbing her eyes. Nigella was very, very upset." | A witness described the incident as shocking. "I have no doubt she was scared," the onlooker told the Sunday People. "It was horrific, really. She was very tearful and was constantly dabbing her eyes. Nigella was very, very upset." |
| Lawson has previously described her husband as "an exploder". In 2007 she said: "I'll go quiet when he explodes, and then I am a nest of horrible festeringness." | Lawson has previously described her husband as "an exploder". In 2007 she said: "I'll go quiet when he explodes, and then I am a nest of horrible festeringness." |
| The pair were sitting outside Scott's when the photographs were taken. According to witnesses quoted in the Sunday People, Lawson attempted to placate her husband, putting her hand on his wrist and at one point leaning over to kiss his cheek. | The pair were sitting outside Scott's when the photographs were taken. According to witnesses quoted in the Sunday People, Lawson attempted to placate her husband, putting her hand on his wrist and at one point leaning over to kiss his cheek. |
| The witness said: "She raised her voice and got angry but at the same time was trying to calm him down, almost like you would try to calm down a child. The kiss was a strange thing. He was being intimidating, threatening." | The witness said: "She raised her voice and got angry but at the same time was trying to calm him down, almost like you would try to calm down a child. The kiss was a strange thing. He was being intimidating, threatening." |
| Heather Harvey, from Eaves, a charity that supports victims of domestic violence, said: "I think some of the language we are hearing around this is shocking. This is not a 'row', it is not a 'tiff', it is an incidence of domestic violence. | Heather Harvey, from Eaves, a charity that supports victims of domestic violence, said: "I think some of the language we are hearing around this is shocking. This is not a 'row', it is not a 'tiff', it is an incidence of domestic violence. |
| "There is an unfortunate myth that domestic violence only happens to a certain type of person, that it happens in dysfunctional families where people have been drinking. But it happens in every social class, and in every profession." | "There is an unfortunate myth that domestic violence only happens to a certain type of person, that it happens in dysfunctional families where people have been drinking. But it happens in every social class, and in every profession." |
| She added: "It is shocking that this happened in a public place, and yet no one intervened. This is not acceptable behaviour." | She added: "It is shocking that this happened in a public place, and yet no one intervened. This is not acceptable behaviour." |
| Last year Saatchi, co–founder of the Saatchi & Saatchi advertising agency, who has an estimated fortune of £100m, was pictured pressing his hand over his wife's mouth as they dined at Scott's. | Last year Saatchi, co–founder of the Saatchi & Saatchi advertising agency, who has an estimated fortune of £100m, was pictured pressing his hand over his wife's mouth as they dined at Scott's. |
| A spokesperson for Scott's said: "The staff at Scott's are aware of the allegations in the media today but did not see anything untoward happen within the restaurant. As this is now a police matter we cannot comment further." | A spokesperson for Scott's said: "The staff at Scott's are aware of the allegations in the media today but did not see anything untoward happen within the restaurant. As this is now a police matter we cannot comment further." |
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