Entertainment

"The Bachelor" creator Mike Fleiss accused of attacking pregnant wife

July 17, 2019 / 8:51 AM EDT / CBS News

Mike Fleiss, the creator of "The Bachelor" franchise, is being accused by his pregnant wife of attacking her earlier this month. On Tuesday, Laura Fleiss filed a restraining order at the L.A. County Courthouse detailing the attack she said happened at their Hawaii home on July 4, CBS Los Angeles reports.

She is also alleging verbal abuse from her husband of five years. The couple has a 4-year-old son together, and Laura is ten weeks pregnant with their second child.

Mike and Laura Fleiss made an arrangement to only have one child. Laura says when became pregnant with their second child, her husband became enraged. Michael Loccisano

In the court documents, Laura claims that prior to getting married, she and Fleiss agreed to have only one child. She alleges that Fleiss became enraged after learning about her second pregnancy.

Fleiss allegedly told his wife, "If you have an abortion, then we can just go back to the way we were." She also claims her husband told her, "The next time I see you, I don't want to see your stomach," and that he yelled that he was going to "shove her down the stairs."

The documents claim Fleiss threw his wife up against a wall, and photos allegedly show him pulling her hair, CBS Los Angeles reports.

Legal expert Alexandra Kazarian told CBS Los Angeles the pictures "are going to be very powerful on her side."

"Ever since the O.J. Simpson case, the laws have changed to make it much easier for someone to get a restraining order against someone that they're in a relationship with," Kazarian.

A restraining order was granted to Laura and it will remain in effect until a hearing date set for August 6, Entertainment Tonight reports. Fleiss has been ordered to remain at least 100 yards away from his wife and son, and he must move out of their home.

Fleiss reportedly filed for divorce from Laura on July 10, citing irreconcilable differences, according to Entertainment Tonight.

Judges appear with Miss Wisconsin Laura Kaeppeler during a news conference after she was named the new Miss America in 2012. One judge, Mike Fleiss, would become her husband two years later. Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Laura, whose maiden name is Kaeppeler, won the Miss America beauty pageant in 2012, which Fleiss judged.

Fleiss, who created "The Bachelor" in 2002, has become an entertainment personality himself. The executive producer is known to be very active on social media, divulging details and live-tweeting "The Bachelor" and "The Bachelorette." He has not tweeted since Monday night.

Warner Bros., which distributes the shows, responded to the allegations on Tuesday evening. "We are aware of these serious allegations, and are looking into them," a Warner Bros. spokesperson told Entertainment Tonight.

Caitlin O'Kane

Caitlin O'Kane is a New York City journalist who works on the CBS News social media team as a senior manager of content and production. She writes about a variety of topics and produces "The Uplift," CBS News' streaming show that focuses on good news.