Report: Ex-Wife Of Trump’s Labor Pick Anonymously Alleged Abuse On ‘Oprah’

CKE Restaurants CEO Andy Puzder, right, discusses Carl's Jr.'s commitment to the state of Texas during a news conference on Wednesday, August 6, 2014 in Austin, Texas. This commitment includes a donation to the Houst... CKE Restaurants CEO Andy Puzder, right, discusses Carl's Jr.'s commitment to the state of Texas during a news conference on Wednesday, August 6, 2014 in Austin, Texas. This commitment includes a donation to the Houston-based Lone Survivor Foundation, which benefits U.S. military service members and their families living in the state. (Jack Plunkett/AP Images for Carl's Jr.) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

The ex-wife of President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for labor secretary once appeared anonymously on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” as a victim of domestic violence, Politico reported Tuesday.

An unnamed friend of Lisa Fierstein’s told Politico that when Fierstein made allegations of domestic violence against an unnamed perpetrator on Oprah’s show while wearing a wig and glasses, she was referring to Andy Puzder, her ex-husband.

Winfrey’s company told Politico it could not find a tape of the appearance. The report did not specify when Fierstein appeared on the show but said it occurred after she “accused [Puzder] multiple times of physically assaulting her in the 1980s.”

A spokesman for Puzder and Fierstein, George Thompson, confirmed Fierstein’s appearance on the show to the Politico. The report also cited two unnamed friends of Fierstein’s, who went by the name Lisa Henning at the time, who confirmed the appearance.

Puzder, the CEO of CKE Restaurants Inc., which owns Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr., was initially expected to appear in a confirmation hearing Thursday in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. His hearing was postponed to Jan. 17, and then postponed again indefinitely.

The couple’s contentious divorce proceedings were resurfaced over the weekend by the Riverfront Times. Fierstein had sought a protective order against Puzder in 1989, alleging that he “attacked me, choked me, threw me to the floor, hit me in the head, pushed his knee into my chest twisted my arm and dragged me on the floor, threw me against a wall, tried to stop my call to 911 and kicked me in the back,” according to court documents provided to the newspaper at the time.

“There was no physical abuse at any point in time,” Puzder had told the Riverfront Times. In a statement over the weekend, Fierstein said she “regretted” those old allegations and noted she had withdrawn them.

Puzder did not respond to Politico’s request for comment on Feirstein’s “The Oprah Winfrey Show” appearance. A spokeswoman for the Trump transition team brushed off the story.

“This is part of a desperate smear campaign to distract from President-elect Trump’s agenda of creating jobs and opportunities for American workers,” Liz Johnson told Politico. “As both Mr. Puzder and Ms. Fierstein have made clear, these were false allegations that were made 30 years ago, and in fact, they are good friends.”

Fierstein told Politico this week that Puzder was “a terrific guy with a wonderful character.”

Latest Livewire
16
Show Comments

Notable Replies

  1. “He’s a choker!”

    Do you think this is the kind of “choker” Trump constantly referred to during the campaign? I found this guy creepy before I read this… now even more so.

  2. Confirmation hearing postponed indefinitely. Withdrawal of nomination soon to follow. Tweets immediately thereafter. “Unfair political witch hunt. Puzder is my kind of guy.”

  3. Has anyone checked in on Oklahoma’s senior senator?

  4. He didn’t want to be tied down to a real woman when he could dwell in his company’s adolescent male fantasy ads. MMM, THIS BURGER MAKES MY NIPPLES SOOOOO~ HARD!!!

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

10 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for innerchild Avatar for ajaykalra Avatar for ghost Avatar for ncsteve Avatar for sociosam Avatar for inlabsitrust Avatar for cvilledem Avatar for carlosfiance Avatar for inversion Avatar for quaker_in_a_basement Avatar for jcblues Avatar for dnl Avatar for rickjones Avatar for tiowally Avatar for coprophagoussmile

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: