President Donald Trump’s former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, has been accused of assault by singer Joy Villa.
According to Joy Villa, Corey Lewandowski hit her twice on the backside during an event in Washington last month.
The singer told media she spoke to the police on Christmas Eve, having been persuaded to launch a formal complaint by friends.
Corey Lewandowski has not responded to media’s requests for comment.
The accusations are the latest in a long line of harassment and assault claims linked to celebrities, politicians and companies, which have gathered pace in the past year, particularly following the downfall of film producer Harvey Weinstein.
According to Associated Press, Joy Villa said: “I was initially fearful to come forward with this.”
She said she did not want to embarrass Corey Lewandowski’s family or hers.
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Joy Villa, who is a vocal Trump supporter and wore a “Make America Great Again” dress to the 2017 Grammy Awards, was at a gathering at Trump International Hotel when she posed for a photograph with Corey Lewandowski, whom, she says, she had never met before.
The singer alleges Corey Lewandowski hit her once on the buttocks, and when she asked him to stop and joked about reporting him for harassment, he did it again. She said he laughed, adding: “I work in the private sector.”
Joy Villa said the hard slaps felt “disgusting and shocking and demeaning”.
Politico first reported on the incident last week, saying they had talked to a witness who spoke out before Joy Villa did.
Joy Villa has previously said she is considering running for Congress – and President Donald Trump has tweeted his support.
Donald Trump fired Corey Lewandowski as campaign manager in June 2016.
Earlier last year, Corey Lewandowski was charged with battery after allegedly yanking a female reporter out of Donald Trump’s way after a campaign event. The charges were later dropped.
