Prosecutors have filed domestic violence charges against Food Network star Darnell “SuperChef” Ferguson, who is accused of strangling and threatening to kill his estranged wife in Kentucky.
A preliminary hearing Thursday resulted in the 36-year-old chef’s case being sent to a grand jury, according to an updated case history file shared by the Kentucky Justice Court. A grand jury hearing is scheduled for the week of February 19.
Ferguson was arrested on January 9 in St. Matthews, a Louisville suburb, on charges of burglary and strangulation, PEOPLE previously reported. He also faces misdemeanor charges including assault, terroristic threats, menacing, criminal mischief.
He faced an additional misdemeanor charge, theft of a receipt for a stolen credit or debit card, for allegedly taking his estranged wife’s credit/debit card and her ID, but that was dismissed at a preliminary hearing, according to the filing.
Following Thursday’s preliminary hearing, PEOPLE obtained the following statement from Ferguson’s attorney, Krsna Tibbs of the Tibbs Law Office.
“MR. Ferguson continues to maintain his complete innocence and is confident that he will be exonerated when all the facts come out. Although today’s hearing was preliminary, Louisville police have come forward with a number of new details that begin to paint a clear picture of the events of January 2, 2024,” the statement said. “Right now, Mr. Ferguson is 100% focused on the well-being and safety of his family and is seeking to preserve the privacy of his children.”
Darnell has reportedly pleaded not guilty and is currently out on bond.
According to a warrant filed in a Kentucky court and previously reviewed by PEOPLE, Darnell allegedly broke into Tatahda’s St. Matthews and started yelling at her and hitting the walls. He then allegedly grabbed her by the neck and strangled her, threatening to kill her.
Food Network star Darnell Ferguson allegedly broke into estranged wife’s home, threatened to kill her: warrant
The order stated that St. Matthews claims she couldn’t breathe and lost consciousness.
“When the victim regained consciousness, she was on the floor and [Darnell] then ripped off the victim’s shorts, causing a scratch on her upper thighs,” the warrant states. “After tearing the victim’s shorts, [Darnell] demanded to see the victim’s private space and told the victim it was his and no one else’s.”
The order further claimed that St. Matthews told police that Ferguson’s alleged actions “made her fear that she would be sexually assaulted.”
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(934x0:936x2)/darnell-ferguson-011124-af324b6250574365a8d1ea9d422ffe7e.jpg)
Darnell Ferguson.
Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty
Police were called to the home and photographed the alleged victim’s injuries, which included “redness, scratches and pain to the neck and a scratch on the upper thigh,” the warrant states. After that, she was taken to the hospital for medical treatment.
Food Network star Darnell Ferguson arrested on strangulation and burglary charges
In a statement to PEOPLE last week, Tibbs wrote, “Darnell and his wife are separated and are working together to find a new balance for their family.”
Want to keep up with the latest crime reports? Sign up for PEOPLE’the free True Crime newsletter for the latest crime news, tracking ongoing trials and details on intriguing unsolved cases.
“They had a disagreement on January 2, which was subsequently reported to the authorities in a misleading and false manner,” the lawyer added. “We hope these issues will be resolved soon and in a way that is least disruptive to their blended family of eight children.”
Food Network star Darnell Ferguson and wife had ‘disagreements,’ says his lawyer
“At this time, we are asking for privacy for Darnell and the entire family so that they can heal and continue to work on co-parenting as they move forward with the divorce,” the statement concluded.
Lawyer St. Matthews did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Darnell is described on the Food Network website as a celebrity chef, restaurateur and entrepreneur, currently hosting Superchef Grudge Match. At the beginning of 2023, he was the co-host of the 25th season The worst chefs in America with Anne Burrell.
He is also a frequent judge at Chopped and Guy’s Grocery Gameshe competed in three seasons of Guy Fieri Tournament of Champions and recently appeared on OWN’s The big holiday food fight and Fantasies about food.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education