Don McLean's Wife Says 'Bye-Bye' To American Pie' Singer After Domestic Arrest
CAMDEN, Maine (AP) — The wife of "American Pie" singer and songwriter Don McLean has filed for divorce in Maine.
A lawyer for Patrisha McLean says the legal papers filed Thursday cite "adultery, cruel and abusive treatment, and irreconcilable differences." The two have been married for 30 years.
Camden resident Don McLean was arrested in January on charges including domestic violence assault. He has pleaded not guilty.
He has been prohibited from having contact with his wife. A statement from Patrisha McLean's attorney, Gene Libby, says she's gained "strength and insight away from his influence and control."
Less than three months ago, the singer and his wife agreed to dismiss an order of protection in the case following his arrest on the domestic violence charge.
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Don McLean's divorce lawyer, Michael Asen, says his client denies the characterizations made by his wife's lawyer. He also says Don McLean "cares very deeply about his wife and family" and that "this wasn't what he wanted."
McLean's signature song "American Pie" topped the Billboard chart 44 years ago. The song was about the deaths of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper in a plane crash on Feb. 3, 1959.
The song has been re-recorded many times, most notably an international hit for Madonna in 2000.
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