BeBe Winans Arrested for Assault Against Ex-Wife!
March 13, 2009 by Kela Price
Filed under Daily Dose
MSN Entertainment
Grammy-winning gospel singer Bebe Winans was arrested and booked on a misdemeanor assault charge on March 11 for allegedly pushing his ex-wife Debra to the ground in front of their two children over Valentine’s Day weekend, according to NBC’s local WSMV in Nashville.
The purported assault took place during a visit by Winans to his former wife’s home in Nashville on February 13. The former couple was arguing over issues related to the custody of their 13-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son, when Winans, 46, became irate and pushed his ex-wife to the ground, according to the report.
“When you’re married to someone known all over the world it has serious challenges,” Debra Winans told NBC, adding that many Christians do not ask for help when faced with domestic abuse because they feel they should be held to a higher standard.
After being held for a short time at Davidson County Jail in Tennessee, Bebe Winans posted $1000 bond and was released, according to the website, The Smoking Gun.
Winans, who is a judge on the BET reality show “Sunday Best,” is best known for performing with his sister Cece.
Bebe and Debra Winans were married for 16 years before divorcing in 2003.
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I am a big Bebe fan. He is one of the most amazing voices I have ever heard.
I am sad to hear of this incident. I hope his wife and kids are ok. Would it be possible for an incident like this to NOT be headline news?
I have no idea what actually happened, I was not there. All I can say is that who knows what happened and under what circumstances.
I guess I am a little allergic to jumping to conclusions because a friend of mine was charged with assault for when he got tackeled by his bi-polar wife while he was holding their baby. The baby was OK. But the three of them ended up in a pile on the floor when the wife during a manic tyrade tried to snatch the baby from him in their home.
Everyone who knows them knows that the wife is the more volatile and aggressive one and frankly the one with the history of violence. Not the husband.
Yet, on this issue, because he was holding the baby when he fell and the baby got bumpped, he was charged. Wife also bumpped her head in the fall. All minor.
So again, the baby was ok. And again, again, I was not there so I do not know what really happened. I just know that he paid a huge price for mere suspicion of this wrondoing. And the powers that be appeared to treat him differently based on his gender.
Certainly, a story of a “Christian Celebrity” would draw headlines and sell papers regardless. The truth of what happened may never be clear.
As soon as it hits the papers and internet though, he may as well be guilty.
Ciao.
Chaz
I am fan of BeBe as well, and I am also allergic to jumping to conclusions when it comes to stories like these. I am certainly not an advocate of domestic violence, but I know that there are some women who play that victim character perfectly. I don’t know what happened, but my instinct tells me that there is a whole lot more to the story!
There are always two sides to every story and I have not only seen situations like this many times in my work in the legal field, and as I have wrote about, I, myself, have been a victim of domestic violence. I will say that yes, some women can play the victim, but a man is ALWAYS stronger and more mighty than any woman and there is never a reason for any man to raise his hand. I am sorry, I just don’t see where this story (no matter what the circumstances) could change the fact that his hands should have never been raised. Walk away, drive away, call the police to help you if she is being hard to deal with, but DO NOT EVER raise your hand to a woman.
Bebe Winans knows better.
Di
And all I am saying is that we do not know what actually happened and that a news paper or news serivce of any kind has far too much selfish interest in sensationalizing to sell paper to be trusted to report on an ubiased basis.
The article does not stipulate he struck her. It says he pushed her to the ground. This could have happened any number of ways. Just like my friend whose deragned wife tackled him while he was holding their baby.
Nobody would argue that violence of men toward women is right. Although I will disagree that “a man is ALWAYS stornger and more mighty than any woman”. I’ve been through the drug culture and “always” is definitely not the case.
If Bebe or any other man hit his wife it is wrong. In this case, we really do not know what happened. I was accused of some things by my ex-wife that were later thrown out in court and her lawyer disciplined by her legal association. But I still bore the brunt of the false accusations.
So I am hesitant to convict anyone on a biased report or mere suspicion from a self-serving source. These are high stakes we are dealing with. A man’s life and family. Just like it was with mine. And my buddy who was charged after being tackled by a woman.
Ciao.
Chaz
Again, I do not condone domestic violence however; a man does have a right to protect himself. Sometimes women hide behind this ‘he’s stronger than me’ excuse and so he shouldn’t HIT ME BACK – operative words are HIT ME BACK. The truth of the matter is that I don’t agree with a woman being violent towards a man either. Neither man, nor woman should put their hands on each other and one certainly can’t expect to violate someone in this manner without consequences. In Bebe’s case, there have been no reports of him actually hitting her. It said that he pushed her to the ground. How do we know that this wasn’t in self-defense? Usually, (not always, but usually) if a man really intends to inflict bodily harm on a woman, he’s going to do more than just push her to the ground. Often times, if he is pushing her to the ground, he’s trying to push her off of him. I’m just spectulating here, but if women really believe that men should use self-control by walking away, driving away, etc., then that same rule should apply to them [women]. No one, man or woman, should be allowed to violate your personal being! Both genders are adults and should never allow their emotions or anger to get the best of them to the point where they want to hurt another person.
*Kela*
True, they should but show me where a man was beaten by a woman the way women get beat by men. Statistics show that injuries among men (by women) are at 600,000 per year and 2 million among women. Neither should be condoned, but there is no comparison. Statistics show that on average more than 3 women are murdered by their boyfriends or husbands every single day. Also, 94% of of offenders in murder-suicides are MALE. It is what it is. A woman should never hit a man — never. But, that man can make a difference by taking control of the sitation and walking away, notifying police, etc. I do not agree that woman who hits a man deserves to get hit back. That is ridiculous on both ends of the spectrum. In the case of Bebe Winans, we do not know the whole story, but pushing is also a defined term of domestic violence. Again, if this is true, he should definitely know better, especially with his Christian background and character.
I definitely don’t think that a woman who hits a man should get hit back as that man is often times stronger. However, I just as firmly agree that the woman who hits a man must be held accountable for her actions, TOO! The man shouldn’t be the only one held responsible for taking control of the situation. WE ALL MUST BE IN CONTROL OF OUR OWN ACTIONS! I am fully aware that there is no comparison between a man hitting a woman versus a woman hitting a man however; neither is okay. No PERSON, man or woman, should be allowed to hit another person (man or woman) and get away with it. Again, this is not saying that a man can’t do more damage than woman. It is simply a rule that I live by. As far as BeBe is concerned, if it is a case where he was pushing her off of him, then she should know better, too, with her Christian background and character. It works both ways.
Once again, I’m not condoning domestic violence at ll. As a matter of fact, I’m doing just the opposite by saying that NO ONE should be allowed to hit just because they get angry; man or woman!
I completely agree and that is why I stated that a man should ALWAYS call the police and file reports. I completely agree that both parties in these actions need to be held accountable and they are more and more. Child custody matters take a toll on all parties in divorce. This situation with Bebe is just one example. Unfortunately, sometimes it rears its ugly head in the form of domestic battery and there’s no excuse no matter who is on the receiving end.
Chaz,
This is off the subject, but I really LOVED your “RUT” article on your blog. That was a great read and got me thinking about my own RUTS. There wasn’t a way I could find to comment so I thought I would send you Kudos here! Keep up the good work. Very enlightening.
Di
Di…. thanks for the reply to my Rut post.
You couldnt post reply? Hmmmm…. odd. There should be a comment click thingy (technically speaking). I have had a couple on it. Oh well.
Anyway…. I do not mean to be nit picking the issue of this post. Abuse and bullying are aweful. And yes, I agree that men abusing women is far more common than vice versa. And that it must be traumatic on the highest levels to fear a man and go through such circumstances. I have not been there so can only imagine. My heart goes out to those who have.
I also do not mean to sound defensive of Bebe Wynans. He did what he did. We just dont quite know what that is.
And again, I am coming from an angle of having been falsely accused by my ex of some things that were very hurtful. So perhaps I am coming from a perspective conditioned by this past.
As you note that you come from a past conditioned by some domestic violence yourself, it would be natural for an article like the Bebe Wynans one to affect you differently than it would me.
Anyway… violence is wrong. Abuse of women is horrific. Lets just hope that eveyrone is ok and the right things happen in this situation.
Ciao.
Chaz
Chaz,
I totally agree. Thank you for your words. You’re absolutely right on everything. Don’t get me wrong though, I do know that men are a lot of times falsely blamed, but the massive amounts of offenders make it hard to sift out the people that are fasely blamed and it’s not fair.
BTW, no comment section was on there when I pulled it up, but maybe I am doing something wrong.
Di