Tom Arnold has accused Mark Burnett of physically assaulting him at a pre-Emmy party late Sunday evening, saying “The Apprentice” creator went “apes–” and “choked” him during the scuffle.
“Mark Burnett just went apes– & choked me at this huge Emmy party then he ran away with his torn Pink shirt & missing gold chain,” Arnold tweeted later that night. “I’m waiting for LAPD.”
Mark Burnett just went apeshit & choked me at this huge Emmy party then he ran away with his torn Pink shirt & missing gold chain. I’m waiting for LAPD
— Tom Arnold (@TomArnold) September 17, 2018
The account was immediately met with a response from Burnett’s wife, Roma Downey, who posted an image of a bruise on her hand and said the incident was related to Arnold’s upcoming Viceland show, “The Hunt for the Trump Tapes with Tom Arnold.”
“Got this bruise tonight when Tom Arnold tried to ambush my husband Mark and me at a charity event,” she said. “Is your TV show worth it Tom? Please stop.”
Got this bruise tonight when Tom Arnold tried to ambush my husband Mark and me at a charity event. Is your TV show worth it Tom?Please stop pic.twitter.com/lXvuKjIMI2
— Roma Downey (@RealRomaDowney) September 17, 2018
Reps for Arnold, Burnett and the LAPD did not immediately respond to request for comment. Arnold’s show on Viceland is scheduled to premiere on Tuesday and the network declined to comment on the altercation or whether it would affect the program’s air date.
Arnold, for his part, doubled down much of Sunday evening on his original allegations, calling Downey a liar, and retweeting Twitter users who suggested that her bruise was old.
“You lie your crazy husband attacked me you psycho,” he said in response to the bruise image. “I’m filing police report & suing you for defamation.”
Bullshit. You lie your crazy husband attacked me you psycho. I’m filing police report & suing you for defamation. https://t.co/9yXAEXM6na
— Tom Arnold (@TomArnold) September 17, 2018
Arnold has spent the run-up to his politically themed Viceland show, “The Hunt for the Trump Tapes with Tom Arnold”
engaging in public stunts with people close to the president. Past targets have included former Trump fixer Michael Cohen. Burnett is one of Trump’s closest confidants from his time as a reality television star and is widely credited with creating the NBC program which first launched the billionaire to nation-wide fame.
He is one of just 47 accounts the president follows on Twitter.