The Food Network star was charged with burglary, assault and strangulation in connection with the alleged January attack
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“Superchef” Darnell Ferguson
The wife of Darnell “SuperChef” Ferguson now says the abuse allegations against the Food Network star are untrue.
“Darnell and I have had our issues and we made every effort not to let it impact our family and loved ones, particularly our children,” Tatahda Ferguson wrote in a press release on Tuesday, April 30. “I reacted in the heat of the moment after we had an intense argument, and called the police for a matter that really didn’t warrant their involvement.”
Ferguson was charged with first-degree burglary, fourth-degree assault and first-degree strangulation in connection with the alleged attack on his wife by St. Matthews, Ky. police in January, WDRB reported. He was also charged with third-degree terroristic threatening, menacing and criminal mischief.
In her statement, Tatahda claimed her “words were twisted by certain law enforcement officials who are looking to make a name for themselves at the expense of my husband’s celebrity status.”
Tatahda wrote that she “never felt unsafe or threatened by him and he has always been an incredible father to our children. It hurts my heart that way he’s being vilified. I am coming forward to try and do what’s right to clear his name and help our family heal.”
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Darnell Ferguson
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According to an arrest warrant, Ferguson allegedly broke into Tatahda’s St. Matthews home on Jan. 2 and began yelling at her and punching walls. He then allegedly grabbed her by the neck and strangled her while threatening to kill her, the warrant alleged.
Police were called to the home and took photos of Tatahda’s alleged injuries, which included “redness, scratches and pain to her neck and a scratch to her upper thigh,” the warrant added.
In the statement, Tatahda said she was “never in any physical danger.”
Related: Food Network Star Darnell Ferguson Allegedly Broke Into Estranged Wife’s Home, Threatened to Kill Her: Warrant
“There was no attempt at strangulation or any kind of assault by Darnell,” she wrote. “I would have spoken sooner but the officers and legal system manipulated the situation…Darnell is a good man with a great heart and didn’t deserve for any of this to happen.”
PEOPLE reached out to Ferguson’s attorney, Krsna Tibbs, for comment.
St. Matthews Police Department Chief Barry Wilkerson tells PEOPLE that the investigation is still open and pending.
“If you look at domestic violence cases many times victims recant,” he says. “It is part of the cycle of domestic violence. We will still actively work this case and work in conjunction with the victim in this case and every other victim to make sure they are safe.”
“They are difficult cases to work, and we are always looking out for our victims in these cases,” he adds. “As a chief I am proud of the way our detectives and the victim’s services specialist handled the case.”
Related: Food Network Star Darnell Ferguson and Wife Had ‘Disagreement,’ Says His Lawyer
The Jefferson Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office said in a statement obtained by WDRB that “although the decision whether to prosecute or not prosecute is ultimately up to the prosecuting attorney, the victim’s opinion is important, and the prosecuting attorney will take those wishes into account when making decisions regarding the case.”
The statement continued, “While we acknowledge the input of victims in the process, under our legal system all crimes are offenses against the public, not just individuals. Our dedication is to preserving public safety. Criminal complaints are prosecuted on behalf of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, not the individual who called the police or the person who may have been personally harmed by the defendant’s conduct. Requests to amend, dismiss, or “drop” charges must be approved by the assigned prosecutor.”
“This approach is important because it takes the responsibility for prosecuting defendants off the victim’s shoulders and makes it the prosecuting attorney’s responsibility, where it legally belongs. It also means that in any case that is being prosecuted, a victim cannot be legally “pressured” into dropping the charges.”
Ferguson, who is known as a celebrity chef, co-hosted Season 25 of Worst Cooks in America alongside Anne Burrell and was a frequent judge on Chopped and Guy’s Grocery Games. He also competed on three seasons of Guy Fieri’s Tournament of Champions and recently appeared on OWN’s The Big Holiday Food Fight and Food Fantasies.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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