Former “American Idol” finalist Corey Clark apologized Tuesday for what he said was a food fight that got out of control, leading to a citation for battery.
Sacramento police dispute Clark’s account of events, which Clark referred to as “a huge misunderstanding.”
“My dancers, crew, management and I were all involved in a food-fight that lasted only a few minutes,” Clark said in a statement released by his publicist. “With that said, I would like to apologize to any hotel guests and/or staff that may have been inconvenienced as a result of this situation. I trust that the authorities have a clear understanding of what really occurred and after reviewing the facts will rule accordingly.”
Clark, 24, was ordered to appear in Sacramento County Superior Court July 22 on a citation for misdemeanor battery, alleging that he caused minor injury to CDC Records company executive Laura Kathleen Troy, 34, of Los Angeles. The incident occurred Saturday as the two were eating a room-service breakfast at Sacramento’s Sheraton Grand Hotel.
If convicted, Clark faces a maximum of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. A spokeswoman for the Sacramento County district attorney’s office said police had not yet given them the case, which the office needs to make a decision on whether to file charges.
“The facts speak for themselves. There was an altercation between the two,” police spokesman Sgt. Justin Risley said.
A guest in the room next door told police she could hear glass shattering and “a woman screaming over and over, ‘Please stop.’ She thought she was in mortal danger,” Risley said.
When a security guard responded, Clark allegedly denied there was a woman in the room but the guard could see Troy’s reflection in a mirror. The guard reported that Clark became increasingly agitated until Troy emerged and Clark went to another room.
Troy told police that Clark knocked over several items and threw others, including a cereal bowl that shattered against a wall, Risley said. She said Clark yelled at her and grabbed her, leaving bruises on her arm.
Clark’s publicist, Jed Wallace, said police “got there at the tail end of a free-for-all in which everyone was involved.” About five people were “letting off steam,” Wallace said in a telephone interview Tuesday. “It started in fun and it got more serious.”
He also said rumours of a romantic relationship between Clark and Troy are “100 percent not true. It’s a strict business relationship.”
Risley said Troy told police she and Clark had been dating since 2003 and that they co-own the record company.
Credit: Yahoo/AP
