"American Pie" singer Don McLean has entered a plea of not guilty for charges of domestic violence. The singer's attorneys said the plea was made in writing and that the singer will not participate in a scheduled court hearing on Feb. 22.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, 70-year-old Don McLean was arrested by the police on Jan. 18 in his home in Camden, Maine. After McLean's arrest, his wife Patrisha filed a handwritten request for protection. The protection order was later dismissed after the couple agreed to "move forward."
McLean, who posted a $10,000 bail the same day as his arrest, stated from the previous year up to now he and his family has been going through an "emotional" time.
"Our hearts are broken and we must carry on. There are no winners or losers but I am not a villain," Don McLean said in a series of tweets. "I may never recover from this but I will try and hope to continue to entertain you all as I always have."
The singer also called the incident a "very painful breakdown of an almost 30-year relationship." He also asked his fans not to judge him.
Don McLean has two children with wife Patrisha, namely daughter Jackie and son Wyatt.
Together with the handwritten request for protection, Patrisha wrote an account of McLean's rage which she described was "unfathomably deep and scary."
Prior to making the distress call to the police, Don reportedly terrorized Patrisha for four hours "until the 911 call" that she thought "might have saved" her life. McLean "vigorously denies" the allegations made by his wife.
The singer is scheduled to appear before the Knox County Unified Court, Billboard noted Sunday. However, McLean's attorney, Walter McKee, stated that nothing substantial is expected to take place during the hearing as an effect of McLean's not-guilty plea.
Don McLean married Patrisha, a renowned photographer, in 1987. As stated on McLean's official website, Patrisha is also the singer's official tour photographer.
In an April 2015 interview with the Washington Post, Don McLean revealed that he had sold the lyrics to his 1971 hit "American Pie" for $1.2 million in order to provide for his wife and children.
Don said Patrisha's role as a mother and wife is "very vital to the raising of children and staying together in a marriage, which is very hard to do." He also called his children his "greatest achievement."
