(Bridget Gray is a very good friend of mine and I'm sorry to post this, sorry that this has happened to her.)
First, I would like to say thank you to everyone who has reached out with open and loving arms. I am so grateful that my support system travels so far and wide. I am blessed with amazing friends, family and fans. I have gotten hundreds of emails and phone calls this past week and understandably a lot of you have questions about what exactly happened. For the most part, I have let the pictures speak for themselves yet I understand my friends and family need more information to try and comprehend this fully. Here are the facts I can offer you as they are now on public record.
On Friday Nov. 13th I traveled to the the Big Island of Hawaii with Jerome James for the wekend. That same evening we got into a disagreement while driving through Puna. What started as a verbal altercation, soon escalated into him stopping the car leaning over into the passenger side and yelling profanities at me at the top of his lungs. He then spit in my face. He continued to advance by pressing his face into mine while screaming. He seemed to be in a blind rage. At this point I felt very strongly that I was not safe. Being it was storming and we were on a rural, unpaved, unlit road, deep into the jungle, and I was without phone service... exiting the car did not to seem to be my best option. I decided to push his face away from me attempting to create space between us. A physical confrontation then ensued. He proceeded to use his upper body strength and size advantage to overpower me. I most definitely did everything I could to to defend myself, however, in the end I suffered several injuries.
The next morning on the phone he begged for my forgiveness but said he couldn't remember exactly what happened. When I told him what he had done he quickly changed his story to he did not do it. Now, after we have returned to Oahu, separately, he is claiming I attacked him without provocation. I have posted pictures in response to this in a photo album titled "He said he didn't do it." View the pictures and judge for yourself. I have more injuries than those shown here including several large bruises on the outside of my left thigh and on my forearms. The police believe my injuries are evident of me balling up to protect myself. They also took note that all of my major injures including the black eye where sustained on my left side. This would be evident of someone on the driver side attacking someone on the passenger side. The police examined my injuries, took pictures and classified this as an Assault/Abuse case. They assured me and my roommate that he would be arrested however he has evaded arrest thus far. The 2 reporting officers strongly advised me to file for a Temporary Restraing Order in the meantime. I have done so and was granted that order of protection by a Judge in a court of law as of yesterday.
I know this is difficult for some to digest. It is hard to believe that a brother in their community could do this. I certainly did not believe Jerome was capable myself. I am concerned that drugs may have played a role as he confessed to me the day before over the phone that he was having hallucinations of... and I quote: "murders and rapes" after he took an excessive amount of mushrooms. Sadly, after I went public, I have had other women who were involved with Jerome in the past reach out to me and share their abusive experiences. I found this extremely disturbing as there seems to be a pattern. I believe he needs serious counseling and help right now but can only get it if he is willing to admit he has a problem and he is held accountable for what he has done. I am not suggesting anyone take the law into there own hands here. I do plan to proceed with legal action and leave whatever repercussions for his actions there are up to a court of law. As for now he has to answer to a higher power.
Thank you all again for your continued love and support, Bridget Gray
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