"Ugly Betty" star Eric Mabius pleads "not guilty" after arrest

"Ugly Betty" star Eric Mabius (53) was taken into police custody in the US state of Florida last week on suspicion of assault. The actor has now pleaded "not guilty". This is according to court documents quoted by "People" .

According to the arrest report, which the US magazine also has, Mabius was "extremely drunk and trying to shout at everyone" when he was arrested on February 20 at around 2:00 a.m. local time in a bar. He is accused of, among other things, throwing two women to the ground.

He is said to have grabbed one of the women by the hair and pulled out a handful. When the police arrived, Mabius is said to have disobeyed orders. The police arrested her and a woman for assault and non-violent resistance to state authority.

The gossip portal "TMZ" published a police photo of Eric Mabius, in which the actor can be seen with a black eye.

On the same day, according to People, the actor signed a restraining order for Amelia Bell, the alleged victim. This was a prerequisite for him being released from police custody on bail while he awaits trial.

Mabius is therefore not allowed to have any "oral or written contact in any form" with the woman and must stay more than 150 meters away from her residence, vehicle and workplace.

Eric Mabius began his acting career in the mid-1990s. He played in series such as "Chicago Hope" and "The L Word". His big breakthrough came in 2006 with "Ugly Betty". In the telenovela, Mabius played the editor-in-chief of the fashion magazine where the title character, played by "Barbie" star America Ferrera (40), works.

Eric Mabius has appeared in films such as Cruel Intentions (1998) and Resident Evil (2002). The actor with Austrian-Polish roots has been married to interior designer Ivy Sherman since 2006; the couple has two sons.

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