‘Queen of the Damned’ Actor Stuart Townsend Arrested After Domestic Dispute

Actor Stuart Townsend has been arrested and faces felony charges for domestic abuse according to TMZ. The Queen of the Damned star allegedly got “physical” with his wife and refused to let her leave during a heated argument. Neighbors contacted police who later arrived at the couple’s Santa Monica home and heard arguing from outside.

TMZ notes that police officers separated the two, with Townsend allegedly warning his wife “not to say anything.” She reportedly complained about pain in her arms and claimed their verbal fight has escalated when Townsend allegedly grabbed her by her arms and refused to let her leave the home when she attempted to do so.

Townsend would be arrested and booked for felony domestic violence according to TMZ and also faces two misdemeanor charges for false imprisonment and dissuading his wife from reporting a crime. He was later released on a $50,000 bond.

TMZ reached out to the couple after Townsend’s release, learning that while they did have a loud argument, it had ended by the time police had arrived.

The actor also told the outlet that he and his wife “look forward to this being resolved speedily and favorably and returning to their quiet lives as spouses and parents.”

His wife also claims that she had asked police not to arrest Townsend. As TMZ notes, she would like the incident and charges to be dropped so they can move on from the incident.

Townsend is best known for his role as Lestat in Queen of the Damned, the character originally played by Tom Cruise on the big screen in Interview with A Vampire, and Dorian Gray in the adaptation of Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. He also appeared on television in a reboot of The Night Stalker and seven episodes of WGN series Salem.

He is also known for dating Charlize Theron for nine years until their split in 2010. As The Daily Mail notes, their relationship was considered one of the “most stable” in Hollywood. It was noted at the time that Theron ended the relationship following a trip to Mexico.

“Stuart is gutted but Charlize said that she [realized] during the Mexican holiday that the relationship was over,” a source told The Daily Mail. “They had become more like brother and sister than lovers. It was she who ended it.”