Kellyanne Conway says an 'out of control' woman assaulted her

Kellyanne Conway
(Image credit: CNN)

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway says she was assaulted by a woman who has since been charged and will be tried next month.

Conway in a CNN interview Friday alleged that, in October 2018, she was at a restaurant with her daughter when a woman, Mary Elizabeth Inabinett, began "screaming her head off" and started "grabbing me from behind, grabbing my arms, and was shaking me to the point where I felt maybe somebody was hugging me."

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Inabinett's lawyer told CNN she did not assault Conway and will plead not guilty. "Ms. Inabinett saw Kellyanne Conway, a public figure, in a public place, and exercised her First Amendment right to express her personal opinions," her lawyer said.

A charging document obtained reportedly shows Conway said the woman screamed at her for eight to 10 minutes, and police wrote after interviewing the restaurant manager that Inabinett "was yelling 'shame on you' and other comments believed to be about Conway's political views." Conway told CNN that people should "get over the damn 2016 election," and she hopes this will "become a teachable moment for everyone that this all has consequences."

A trial will take place next month in Maryland.

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.