In September of last year, Nick Gordon was ruled legally responsible for the death of Bobbi-Kristina Brown in a wrongful death suit brought against him by her estate. He was ordered to pay $36 million to her family in November, though he failed to put in a court appearance for the ruling. Since then, he has apparently settled in Florida with his girlfriend Laura Leal.
TMZ reports that Gordon was arrested on Saturday for domestic abuse and kidnapping after allegedly sending Leal to the hospital very early that morning. The Sanford Police department confirmed the story on Saturday in a statement to US Weekly:
“At 8:04 a.m. this morning, a female came to the Sanford Police Department to say that she had been battered and that Nick Gordon would not allow her to leave the residence,” the PIO told Us. “Officers did make contact with him and he was over at the pool area of the residence. There was no issues or any problems when taking him into custody.”
According to the New York Daily News, Gordon supposedly beat Leal in a jealous rage because he believed she was “trying to hook up with one of his friends,” then held her in his house “hitting and punching her in the face and the back of the head with a closed fist.” Eventually, Leal escaped and ran into Gordon’s mother’s room, where she was sleeping. Gordon’s mother escorted Leal from the house and to the police station. Leal told police that Gordon had told her she could leave, and when she said she would, the violence escalated. The police report says the abuse went from about midnight until seven in the morning.
WKMG-TV reports that Gordon was granted a $15,000 bond on Sunday morning, for kidnapping and false imprisonment, plus $500 for domestic battery. He was ordered to wear a GPS device and cannot make contact with Leal. He was also told to stay away from the house where the assault allegedly took place, though Gordon attests it is his home and Leal does not reside there.