Why was Michelle Branch charged with domestic assault? Incident explored as Tennessee authorities drop case

On August 11, Michelle Branch was arrested on charges of domestic assault made by her husband, Patrick Carney. However, the case has now been dismissed as the authorities have dropped the charges.

The arrest followed Branch's split from estranged husband Carney after three years of marriage. As per Rolling Stone, police complaints of domestic issues came from their home in Nashville, Tennessee.

Michelle Branch, who was arrested, told police that she had slapped Carney "one to two times" in the face. The singer was then taken into custody and booked for domestic abuse.

Branch was given bail at $1,000 and released on August 11 itself. She also filed for divorce from Carney after the incident.

In a statement, Branch told People Magazine:

"To say that I am totally devastated doesn’t even come close to describing how I feel for myself and for my family... The rug has been completely pulled from underneath me and now I must figure out how to move forward. With such small children, I ask for privacy and kindness."

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Everything to know about the domestic violence charges against Michelle Branch

Michelle Branch was arrested from her home in Nashville on the grounds of domestic abuse against Patrick Carney. As stated earlier, the singer also confirmed to the officers on the scene that she had slapped Carney "one to two times."

Michelle Branch and Patrick Carney met at the Grammy Awards party in 2015. They began dating two years later when Branch and Carney started working together on the former's 2017 album "Hopeless Romantic." Carney co-wrote and co-produced the album, which had an indie vibe.

The two tied the knot in 2019 at the Marigny Opera House in New Orleans. Their son Rhys was born in 2018, and their daughter Willie was born in February 2022.

Branch was previously married to bass player Teddy Landau, with whom she has a 17-year-old daughter, Owen. Carney was previously married to Denise Grollmus from 2007 to 2009 and Emily Ward from 2012 to 2016.

Many media outlets reported that her statement about the divorce came after she tweeted and deleted a message accusing Patrick Carney of infidelity. However, the latter has not yet acknowledged or responded to the accusations.

As per NME, the tweet read:

“Just found out my husband cheated on me... while I was home with our 6-month-old daughter.”

In her divorce filing, Michelle Branch noted "irreconcilable differences" as the primary reason for her split from estranged husband Patrick Carney. As per People Magazine, the documents also state that "the parties are no longer capable of resuming their marital relationship and living together as husband and wife."

As for their kids, Michelle Branch has asked to be the primary caregiver of their son Rhys, 3, and daughter Willie, six months. However, the estranged couple has also requested that Carney receive "reasonable parenting time privileges" while paying for child support.

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Nothing much has been reported about the divorce procedure yet. Meanwhile, Michelle Branch is back promoting her recent record called The Trouble With Fever, which is set to be released on September 16.

Patrick Carney's rock duo, The Black Keys, have released their 11th studio album, Dropout Boogie.