His side of the story. Following his domestic violence arrest on Monday, February 24, Chad Johnson has decided to clear things up regarding a drunken incident with his now ex-girlfriend Annalise Mishler.
“With knowledge, we can all do better 🙏,” Johnson, 32, wrote via Instagram on Wednesday, February 26, alongside a video of himself addressing the domestic abuse situation.
The Bachelorette alum said that he was “devastated” following his breakup from Mishler, 25. “It was like losing by best friend,” he explained in the Instagram video, which is what he said led to him drinking for the first time in two months.
“I had made a promise to myself and to my girlfriend that I wouldn’t do that anymore,” Johnson continued. “Whenever I do drink, I don’t act right. I screwed up and I drank.”
He noted that, despite his relapse, he and Mishler got back together. In between falling off the wagon and getting back together, Johnson said he started a dating app profile, which is what led to the couple’s next fight. Mishler detailed the altercation on her Instagram Stories on Sunday, February 23.
“The next day, I came over to try and talk things out,” he continued, noting that the YouTube star had already posted the videos of him yelling at her door. “I wasn’t mad at her. I totally understand why she did that. I still love her very much.”
The pair had issues due to the dating app mishap, Johnson revealed, which led to Mishler coming to his place and recording him through it all.
“I was very down at the time. I was very upset,” he said. “So I made a stupid decision and grabbed her phone and I just threw it. I threw it outside.” Once he threw the phone he said he walked to her door again, which is when a neighbor called the police as he was outside her apartment and trying to talk with her.
He was then arrested and sent to jail due to the domestic violence complaint. As Us Weekly confirmed on Monday, the Oklahoma native was taken into custody at 4:10 a.m. that morning and booked for “robbery with a domestic violence enhancement.”
The reality star noted on Wednesday in his video message that the “robbery” charges came because he technically stole her phone and threw it. He said the domestic violence charges, on the other hand, were unwarranted.
“There was never any domestic abuse of any kind. I have never laid hands on a woman anytime in my entire life,” the Bachelor Nation star said. “I was in the Marine core; I was taught core values. I have a sister. I am a very overprotective brother. If she ever felt in danger, I would want her to call.”
He continued: “If any women out there ever feel like they are in any danger I urge you to call 911. I can totally understand why Annalise felt threatened whenever I took her phone, but I am 100 percent confident [that] any type of domestic abuse charges are going to be dropped, because there was never any time of domestic abuse at all whatsoever. Never laid my hands on a woman.”
Johnson claimed he never touched his girlfriend, but in wake of the incident, she requested a restraining order against him. However, he did admit to feeling terrible about the series of events before wrapping up his message to his followers.
“I am so sorry for the entire situation,” he concluded. “I am so sorry to Annaliese for feeling threatened. I am working on myself to get better. All I can do is put my best foot forward and try to be a better person every day from here on out.”
In her series of Instagram Stories on Sunday, the blogger revealed that this event made it so they could never be together.
“There is no option to go back,” she said about their relationship at the time. “I’m not going back.”
Johnson also announced via his rep on Monday that he had “stepped down from the [Battle of the] Bachelors event in April … to seek help for his anger management and drinking problems.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
