Former state governor and a leading GOP Missouri Senate candidate Eric Greitens has been accused by his ex-wife of physical abuse and "unstable and coercive behavior," according to court records revealed Monday, The Associated Press reports.
The sworn affidavit from Sheena Greitens, the candidate's former wife, "is part of an ongoing child custody dispute in Missouri," AP writes. She is asking the court to move the custody case to Austin "in part to spare her children from renewed public attention as Eric Greitens tries to mount a political comeback."
"Prior to our divorce, during an argument in late April 2018, Eric knocked me down and confiscated my cell phone, wallet and keys so that I was unable to call for help or extricate myself and our children from our home," Sheena said in the filing. "I became afraid for my safety and that of our children at our home," she added, later continuing that her then-husband's behavior "included physical violence toward our children, such as cuffing our then-3-year-old son across the face at the dinner table in front of me and yanking him around by his hair."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Among other accusations, Eric Greitens' former spouse also alleged he purchased a gun but refused to reveal its whereabouts, even allegedly threatening suicide unless Sheena "provided specific public political support," she said.
After the fact, on three separate occasions, multiple people out of concern moved to limit Eric Greiten's access to firearms, she noted.
The former governor was once a "rising GOP star," AP writes, though everything changed after he was "indicted on an invasion-of-privacy charge in February 2018 in St. Louis." The new allegations from his former wife may jeopardize his chances at a political comeback out of Missouri's Aug. 2 primary.
GOP Pennsylvania Senate candidate Sean Parnell was also accused by his ex-wife of abuse. He later suspended his campaign.
-
Air strikes in the Caribbean: Trump’s murky narco-warTalking Point Drug cartels ‘don’t follow Marquess of Queensberry Rules’, but US military air strikes on speedboats rely on strained interpretation of ‘invasion’
-
Crossword: September 14, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Sudoku medium: September 14, 2025The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to TrumpSpeed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raidsSpeed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raidSpeed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearingSpeed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mountSpeed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own listspeed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battleSpeed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
