Over the July 4th weekend, former RHOBH star Anamarie Wiley had her husband — ex-NFL star and sportscaster Marcellus Wiley — arrested for domestic battery, and according to TMZ she told police he poked her in the cheek and threatened to take her life in front of their kids. Booked into Orange County Jail on July 4th, Wiley was held without bond. Meanwhile in Atlanta, Big Tigger confirmed he’s stepping away from his radio show as his own domestic violence case moves forward — and his co-host is now suing his estranged wife. We reported the arrest earlier; here’s the full update on both.
The Affidavit Reads Darker Than Anything Bravo Aired
So here’s what TMZ pulled from the docs. Marcellus and Anamarie were inside a hotel room at the World Marriott in Orlando on Saturday afternoon when she called police to report a battery, telling officers she wanted him removed because she was afraid after he threatened to take her life. Their three children were in the room, along with other kids — all there for a basketball tournament, which makes me wonder if he faces more charges since younger children were present, the same question we raised with the Big Tigger story. Anamarie says the previous morning he stood over her while she sat on the bed and used one finger to poke her cheek in front of their seven-year-old daughter. She told cops she’s planning to divorce him and alleges an unreported history of violence. And that’s the sad part — you watch a family on Beverly Hills thinking you’re getting the reality, only to learn there’s a much darker reality underneath.
“Used one finger to sternly and intentionally poke her in the cheek in front of their seven-year-old daughter.”
I Want to Be Fair Here — But This Isn’t His First Headline
Now, Wiley told police there was no physical altercation, that he never laid a hand on his wife, and that he was only there taking care of the children, even showing officers cordial text messages between them. Based on Anamarie’s written statement, police still found probable cause to arrest him for domestic violence battery — and I do wonder whether officers spoke to the kids. Here’s the context you should have: Anamarie was a full-time cast member on season 13 of RHOBH before producers gave her the axe, saying she wasn’t a good fit, and a lot of people didn’t warm to her. But not liking somebody on an edited reality show shouldn’t have you making slick comments while she’s living through this. It should also be noted, because we’re fair here, that Marcellus was accused of sexual assault by four women earlier this year — he denied it on his podcast, calling it “assassination by accusation.” A lot of stress was already circling this marriage. I’m glad she’s finally doing something, and I hope she sticks with it.
The Big Tigger Fallout Just Grew a Lawsuit
Speaking of DV in pop culture, we have to talk about Big Tigger, whose legal name is Darien Morgan. According to TMZ, his radio co-host Francesca Amir is now suing his estranged wife, Alicia Brown, for defamation — claiming Brown falsely labeled her a “home wrecker” on social media, unleashing online hate that damaged her reputation, cost her business, and forced her to hire a crisis management team. Here’s the thing, and I’m not saying Francesca doesn’t have a case — if somebody puts a lie about you on the internet, sue. But I do find it interesting that you’d spend that kind of money on a crisis management team if there was no inkling of truth to manage. I want to be fair, because she has a lot to lose, so I get it. I just hope the discovery on this turns up nothing to discover. All of this sits on top of Morgan’s existing battery and child cruelty charges from a May altercation at the couple’s Sandy Springs home — the same case where TMZ obtained Ring cam footage investigators say shows him grabbing Brown by the neck and shoving her into a door, leaving a deep cut above her left eye that needed stitches. Brown was granted a temporary protective order. Morgan denies the allegations.
I’m Not Surprised He Stepped Down — I’m Surprised It Took This Long
Big Tigger confirmed he won’t be on the radio for now, posting a statement that his personal life has become “the subject of overwhelming speculation and misinformation,” that what hurts most is being away from his son, and that he’s stepping back to focus on family and give his legal team room while he “unequivocally” denies every allegation. I’m not completely surprised — I’m just surprised it didn’t happen quicker, because you can’t host a show dissecting everyone else’s business with this cloud over you, and the leaked footage makes it a looming distraction. Some say he shouldn’t have to step down at all, and that’s a fair debate. But here’s what I keep coming back to: people ask why we never heard anything about these men before, and it’s because the internet shames people in domestic situations into silence — especially when their partner carries the bigger name. We didn’t know Anamarie’s alleged history either, until suddenly we did. Two things can be true, and we’ll continue to follow both stories. So how do you guys feel about these two cases — and about the way we talk about the people living them? Empire After Dark returns to The Green Room 42 on September 25. Let’s continue this in the comments. Here we go.
Disclaimer: This post is based on publicly available information and credited sources. All allegations are unproven
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Meta Title: Marcellus Wiley Arrested, Big Tigger Steps Away From Radio
Meta Description: Anamarie Wiley had Marcellus Wiley arrested for domestic battery over July 4th weekend as Big Tigger steps down from radio amid his own DV case. KEMPIRE breaks it down.
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Categories: Reality TV, Legal
Tags: Marcellus Wiley domestic battery arrest, Anamarie Wiley RHOBH divorce, Orange County Jail held without bond, Marcellus Wiley sexual assault accusers podcast denial, Big Tigger radio step down statement, Francesca Amir defamation suit Alicia Brown, Big Tigger Ring cam Sandy Springs child cruelty
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Social Caption: Marcellus Wiley sits in a Florida jail after his wife’s DV claims while Big Tigger steps away from the mic and his co-host sues his estranged wife. Full KEMPIRE breakdown on the blog.
