A Georgia judge has issued a temporary protective order against actor Djimon Hounsou after his former partner, Ri’za Marie Simpson, petitioned for legal protection just days after her arrest in a heated domestic dispute.
Simpson, who shares children with Hounsou, was granted the order Monday. The ruling bars the Gladiator and Blood Diamond star from contacting her or coming within 200 yards of her and the children until a court hearing in early February. The decision follows a January 16 arrest that stemmed from a December altercation at a residence in Atlanta.
Dispute Turns Legal
Hounsou, 61, contacted police in early December after an argument with Simpson escalated. In a police report, he alleged that Simpson struck him in the face with a closed fist after he asked her to vacate the property he owns. “Mr. Hounsou stated that Ms. Simpson then begins to strike his face with a closed fist causing his left eye to be red and slightly swollen,” authorities wrote in the report.
Simpson was arrested by Atlanta police and booked on charges of simple assault – family violence and obstruction. Authorities said she provided false information and resisted compliance when confronted at the scene.
Hounsou has not publicly commented on the protective order, and representatives for the actor did not respond to an AP request for comment.
In a filing with the court, Simpson described a different version of events leading up to her arrest. She claimed her arrest was wrongful and that she, not Hounsou, needed protection. Simpson alleged Hounsou had engaged in what she characterized as financial mistreatment and attempted to unlawfully evict her from the home they previously shared.
Simpson also released audio from the December dispute in which she repeatedly asks for her keys and asserts that Hounsou had no right to bar her from the property. In her written account, she said he slammed a vehicle door against her side, screamed in her face and called her derogatory names.
She further alleged another, separate incident occurred in October, when she said Hounsou confronted her aggressively in front of their children. The court document outlining those claims was filed as part of her petition for the protective order.
The temporary protective order will remain in place until a scheduled hearing early next month. At that hearing, both parties will have an opportunity to present evidence and arguments before a judge considers whether to extend the legal protections.
Simpson is expected to appear in court at the February hearing, and her legal counsel is preparing to challenge the assault allegations. Prosecutors have not yet disclosed whether additional charges will be filed in the case.