Celebrity chef and Food Network’s “Superchef Grudge Match” host Darnell Ferguson has pleaded not guilty to strangling a woman after he was arrested near Louisville, Kentucky, on Tuesday.
Ferguson is facing several charges, including burglary, strangulation and terroristic threatening, after he illegally entered a woman’s home on Jan. 2, the St. Matthews Police Department said in a statement.
“In all our cases, we try to be transparent with the public and media,” the police department said in a statement, according to WHAS11, a local news outlet. “Given the sensitive nature of domestic violence incidents and the fact this is still an open investigation, we are restricted in the details which can be released regarding the circumstances and information about the victim.”
In court documents obtained by WHAS11, the woman told police that Ferguson began yelling at her and punched the walls before he wrapped his hands around her neck.
The woman said she lost consciousness during the attack and alleged that when she woke up, she saw Ferguson rip off her shorts. Police said Ferguson also took the woman’s credit card, debit card and ID before leaving her home.
The woman was granted an emergency protection order against Ferguson following the alleged incident.
Ferguson pleaded not guilty on Wednesday, local news outlet WDRB reported. A judge also lowered his bond from $20,000 to $10,000. Krsna Tibbs, Ferguson’s attorney, told the judge that the woman and her attorney agreed with lowering it because Ferguson helps her take care of the three children they share together. Tibbs also told the judge that the woman recanted her allegations against Ferguson.
The attorney shared with WDRB that the woman wants to drop the criminal charges against Ferguson and work things out with him.
Assistant Jefferson County Attorney Cristin Southard argued in court to raise Ferguson’s bond, alleging that Ferguson said he was going to kill the woman.
Southard told WDRB that it’s not unusual for victims of domestic violence to recant their statements.
“They may think they want to reconcile but ... these are very serious allegations, and we have concerns,” Southard said.
Court records reviewed by HuffPost show that Ferguson is due back in court for his civil case next month.
Tibbs, prosecutors and the woman’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Food Network describes Ferguson as a “celebrity chef, restaurateur and entrepreneur” who hosts “Superchef Grudge Match″ and frequently judges on “Chopped.” Most recently, he appeared on OWN’s “The Big Holiday Food Fight” and “Food Fantasies.”
Food Network did not immediately respond to a request for comment addressing Ferguson’s arrest.
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.