Actor Djimon Hounsou is now subject to a temporary protective order after his former partner, Ri’za Marie Simpson, asked a Georgia court for legal protection following a volatile dispute that led to her arrest earlier this month.
A judge granted Simpson’s request on Monday, ordering Hounsou to have no contact with her or their children and to remain at least 200 yards away until a hearing scheduled for early February.
The order comes after an argument in December at a home in Atlanta that Hounsou owns. According to a police report, the Oscar-nominated actor called authorities and claimed Simpson became physical when he asked her to leave the property. Officers noted visible redness and swelling near his eye. Simpson was later arrested on charges of simple assault and obstruction.
Simpson has since told a very different story. In court documents, she said she felt unsafe and insisted her arrest was unjust. She accused Hounsou of trying to push her out of the home and described what she called a pattern of intimidating behavior.
In audio she shared from the night of the incident, Simpson can be heard repeatedly asking for her keys and saying, “You can’t keep me from the house.” She also alleged that Hounsou slammed a car door into her and shouted at her in front of their children.
Hounsou has not commented publicly on the ruling. Both sides are expected to appear before a judge next month, when the court will decide whether the order should be extended.