Over the weekend, the son of a major Walking Dead star grabbed headlines for his latest brush with the law. Mingus Reedus, the son of Daryl Dixon's Norman Reedus and model Helena Christensen, was arrested and charged on Saturday, Aug. 23 with five counts in an alleged incident with a 33-year-old woman. The 25-year-old model pleaded not guilty to all of his charges.
Upon his arrest in New York City at 8:40 a.m., Mingus was originally charged with two counts, one for assault and another for criminal obstruction of breathing. However, more charges were later added, including recklessly causing physical injury, aggravated harassment, and harassment. According to People, Mingus will appear in court again on Tuesday, Aug. 26.
Norman Reedus' son arrested on assault charges
The NYPD shared their observations from the scene, which involved a 33-year-old woman who had suffered "minor injuries" to her neck and leg. It has been reported that the victim was Mingus' girlfriend of five months, who he allegedly punched in the leg, choked, and slammed her body to the floor. After his arrest and charges, Mingus pleaded not guilty and his attorney has issued a statement on his behalf and defending his alleged innocence.
"Despite what the prosecutor said in court — which is not evidence — they [the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office] chose to charge Mingus with misdemeanors or less. This speaks volumes, and much louder than the unsupported prosecutor’s in-court comments," said Mingus' attorney Priya Chaudhry exclusively to People. "Mingus is presumed innocent and has pled not guilty."
Chaudhry also previously represented actor Jonathan Majors in his own assault case. The attorney defended Mingus in court after his arrest on Saturday, calling the situation a "misunderstanding" and stating that the victim isn't "afraid" of Mingus, has moved out of their shared NYC apartment, and seemingly won't pursue charges. But what happens in court on Aug. 26 remains to be seen.
Following his arrest, The New York Post spotted Mingus returning to his New York City apartment on Sunday, Aug. 24, and the model shared a disturbing comment with the paparazzi photographers filming him. "You want to watch me k-ll myself?" He didn't offer any further communication with the press. Mingus was also reported to have called a reporter "ugly" outside of the courtroom after his arrest.
This isn't the first time that Mingus has been arrested after an alleged assault altercation. In September 2021, a 21-year-old Mingus was arrested in New York City at the San Gennaro festival. Mingus was accused of punching a 24-year-old woman in the face, though he later suggested that he moved his arm and accidentally hit the woman in the face. Mingus reached a plea deal in March 2022 and accepted a lesser charge for disorderly conduct.