Not just an isolated incident? Days after Gina Kirschenheiter’s estranged husband, Matthew Kirschenheiter, was arrested on suspicions relating to domestic violence, the Real Housewives of Orange County star is detailing their allegedly abusive relationship in new court documents.
Us Weekly confirmed on Tuesday, June 25, that Gina filed for a restraining order against Matthew, whom she married in 2010. In the paperwork obtained by Us, the 35-year-old Bravo star alleged that her spouse threatened to kill her during the early hours of Saturday, June 22, after a night out.
“Around 2:00 a.m., I awoke to the sound of someone pounding on my door and repeatedly ringing the doorbell. I went downstairs and checked the door, but no one was there,” the docs state. “[Matthew] had somehow gotten into my house and was furious. He told me his phone died and he had to walk home, and that he had been at my door for an hour.”
After Gina told Matthew that he couldn’t hear him at the door, he allegedly “became enraged.”
“He threw me on the couch and threw some of the furniture around. I was scared and tried to get up, but he threw me down on the couch again. He was so angry; he was profusely sweating from head to toe. I was terrified,” Gina claimed. “[Matthew] was screaming in my face saying he was going to f–king kill me. He ripped my bra strap off, then took a pillow and hit me on the side of the head with it hard. My ears rang. I begged him to stop… to calm down… but he kept hitting me.”
When Matthew walked away, Gina left the house to get help from a neighbor. He then allegedly “dragged” her back to their house, and Gina claims he threatened to kill her again.
“His eyes were black and nothing I said could bring him back to reality. Even when I was begging and pleading with him to stop because our children were home too, it had no effect on him,” Gina alleged, referring to the twosome’s sons Nicholas, 7, and Luca, 3, and 5-year-old daughter Sienna.
Gina added that Matthew was “angry” with her after the police arrived and he was taken into custody. (Matthew was released on Sunday, June 23, at 1 a.m., and has yet to be officially been charged with a crime at this time. He has yet to publicly comment on the accusations. Us reached out for a comment.)
The TV personality also alleged in the documents that it was not the first time things got “ugly” between the couple, who announced their separation in July 2018.
“After our separation but during our nesting arrangement for custody purposes, we began arguing. I asked [Matthew] to leave me alone, but he wouldn’t stop yelling,” Gina claimed of an August 2018 incident. “I locked myself in my bedroom. He began yelling at me through the door saying, ‘Let me in! I need something from the closet!’ He eventually broke through the door and went straight to my closet. I could hear him playing with his shotgun.”
Gina concluded that there were “too many” other incidents that upset her in the past “to remember.”
“At this point, I have to protect me and our children. [Matthew] and I had attempted reconciliation in hopes of keeping our family together, but I now realize it’s better for us both to move on for the sake of our children,” Gina concluded, referring to the pair reuniting earlier this year. “I am heartbroken for all of us. Matt needs professional help, which is more than I can give him. For these reasons, I respectfully request that the Court grant all requested Orders herein.”
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
