Ten Celebrities Accused of Domestic Abuse or Assault

The battle between Mel Gibson and his ex-girlfriend Oksana has been made public to the point of over exposure. It would appear that there may be a variety of "abuses" on both sides. So many stories and recordings and accusations have been made, no one can sort them all out at this point.

But an accusation is not the same as a fact. That is why news reporters are careful to use the word "alleged" in their stories until someone has actually been convicted of a crime. And abuse can come in many forms - it is not always a black eye. It can be verbal, physical, psychological, sexual, etc. It can be subtle. Anyone's attempt to control your actions can be considered a type of abuse.

While Mel Gibson's case has been #1 in the media of late, abuses happen to many people every day. In fact, celebrity itself can bring a special kind of stress down upon a public personality. Clearly, something heavy duty is happening in Mel Gibson's private life that is very nasty. All information to this point is speculation.

Charlie Sheen is #2 on the radar for alleged abuse allegations. There is no argument that there was a fight between Sheen and his current wife, Brooke Mueller, but as to if Sheen's actions were actual assault are still fuzzy. However, threatening someone with a weapon is a form of abuse. And Sheen is serving some jail time.

#3 goes to Alec Baldwin. Who can forget the public airing of Baldwin's tirade calling his daughter a "pig". Are we as a society still so naive to think that any conversation is truly private anymore? In this case, the barage aimed at his daughter would be considered verbal abuse. Yes, it may have been Baldwin's rage that he actually feels toward his ex-wife, but unfortunately his daughter was the target.

Still fresh in our memories at #4 is the Rihanna and Chris Brown punch out. Chris Brown was the alleged perpetrator in this case. The paparazzi actually assisted in providing evidence to the events. The spouse or significant other can usually choose whether or not to press charges against the perpetrator. However, too often, the woman is too terrified or too brainwashed to file a formal complaint. Luckily in this case, Rihanna left the relationship showing her courage and independence.

At #5 is an odd situation. The "disagreement" between Tiger Woods and his wife Elin was fuzzy from the beginning. There is no doubt there was an uproar with Elin's discovery of Tiger's alleged extramarital activities. SNL did a sketch reflecting what most "average" couples presume happened that night - that the wife allegedly became so angry she went after her husband (or his car) with a golf club. That pales in comparison to the emotional and psychological abuse Tiger's affairs have likely already inflicted on his family, particularly his wife and children.

Coming in at #6 is perhaps the longest running bad relationship the public has ever known: Bobby Brown and Whitney Houston. In nearly all celebrity heavy duty fights, alcohol and/or drugs plays a part. Whitney has admitted publicly that she and Bobby both liberally partook of all manner of drugs and alcohol. While Brown is the one arrested on domestic abuse charges, Houston insists that she was always the one to get physical during their fights. However, if you are strung out on drugs and alcohol, how can you be sure of what happened?

At #7 David Hasselhoff presented a sad picture when his daughter videotaped him drunk, not even able to eat a simple hamburger. While it is not clear what may have transpired between "the Hoff" and his wife, repeatedly being drunk in front of your children is a form of abuse for them. Hasselhoff does deserve credit for continuing to remain in the public eye. He and his wife appeared to be working out their differences and issues as privately as they can. Lucky for him, Hasselhoff is one of those celebrities whose fans stay loyal no matter what and continue to support him.

At #8 Ike Turner and Tina Turner's story has been told and retold. However, their partnership was such a classic example of the man insisting on being in charge and would assault his wife in any way possible to make his point. It took a long time and a lot of courage, but Tina finally left Ike with nothing but the clothes she was wearing. With help, she realized her own talent and ability to bring home the bacon. In time, Tina eclipsed Ike's career and then some. Tina proved that one can not only survive terrible abuse, but thrive afterward.

James Brown, the great R&B singer, who sits at #9 on my list, was blessed with a remarkable talent and energy for singing and dancing. But he came from an old school, extremely poor family and spent many years in and out of jail. His domestic violence charges did not start until the 1990's. It is not known if his passion overcame him and his rage at the misfortune that followed him all this life was the cause, or perhaps it was the beginning of dementia, or even the more modern women in his life who wouldn't put up with being literally pushed around.

Filling out the list at #10 is Phil Hartman, who paid the ultimate price for domestic violence - his wife shot him dead, and then killed herself. There were reports from both sides of alleged abuses, particularly during their contentious child-custody battles. But it is a sad reminder that an inability or unwillingness to resolve issues can lead to such a tragic ending.