George Lazenby denies assaulting first wife Christina Master
London, Aug 28 : Aussie actor George Lazenby has denied the allegations made by his
first wife Christina Master that he assaulted her, and was an abusive alcoholic.
Master, who had separated from the former James Bond actor in 1994, alleged that he had
beaten, threatened and tormented her and their daughter Melanie Lazenby.
The publishing heiress further revealed that Lazenby punched her in the face when she
was five months pregnant, and broke her nose when their son was dying from cancer.
She also alleged that Lazenby threatened to kill her when she told him she wanted a
divorce, and that she was so afraid of him that it took her years before she found the
courage to leave him in 1994.
Adding to it all was Melanie's account of her own trails at the hands of her own
father. She said the former 007 star, "tormented me, humiliated me, hurt me physically,
scarred me emotionally" and "placed a feeling of fear and mistrust in me".
Melanie, 34, also claimed that from the age of 10 until she was 21 her father would
"frequently" attack her, hitting and slapping her and pinning her against walls.
She recounted, how in another incident when she was about 18, Lazenby pushed her head
down a toilet into her own urine, and she also revealed how as she was suffering from
anorexia and bulimia from the age of 16, he would constantly tell her she was not thin
enough.
Lazenby would taunt her by calling her "Miss Ethiopia" when she was at her
thinnest.
Melanie also recalled how Lazenby offered her 50 pounds when she was a teenager to do a
handstand, three forward rolls and hop on one leg while wearing a bathing suit.
After she performed the tricks, he gave her the money and allegedly called her a
whore.
"Congratulations - you are a whore. That is what whores do - what men tell them to do
for a quick buck. I thought you'd fall for that one - you idiot," Daily Express quoted her
recalling.
When the claims were made, Lazenby, who played the 007 agent in 1969, denied the
allegations contained in documents filed at Los Angeles Superior Court and demanded
proof.
"I wish Christina would show me a medical report, X-rays and pictures that show I broke
her nose. I never punched her in my life," he said.
He apologised to his daughter for not being attentive to her during his son Zack's
illness but denied the allegation he was drinking at the time. Zack died of cancer 14
years ago at the age of 19.
"I did not have one drink while attending to Zack for eight years," he said.
--ANI
