Bachelorette star DeAnna Pappas ‘files restraining order’ on ex Stephen Stagliano after her arrest in odd twist

Former Bachelorette DeAnna Pappas, 43, has requested a restraining order against her ex-husband following her recent arrest. 

The former reality star told her side of the interaction with ex Stephen Stagliano, 41, following his allegations and asked the court to order him to stay 100 yards away from her. A hearing was scheduled for later this month.

Pappas claimed Stagliano was the aggressor at her home the night she was arrested on domestic violence charges on February 27 and that video recorded by her daughter would prove it in documents obtained by US Weekly.

The fracas was kicked off after Stagliano’s mother, Lynn, claimed she smelled alcohol on Pappas’ breath when she went to pick up her grandson Austen for school on February 26.

‘When I arrived, I very clearly smelled alcohol on DeAnna’s breath,’ Lynn claimed in a statement, alleging that she put the boy in her car and left. ‘This was not the first time I picked up Austin. My husband picks him up more.’

That night when Stagliano arrived at Pappas’ house to pick up their daughter Addison, Pappas walked the girl to her dad’s car and said that Stagliano ‘told me I needed to walk closer to him because he wanted to smell my breath to make sure that I was not drunk.’

She then claimed, ‘I had not consumed any alcohol. I ignored Stephen’s comment, and I walked back into the garage.’

The television personality then said her ex had followed her into the garage.

‘I tried to shut my garage door. Stephen pushed my garage door upward so that it would not close. I shouted at Stephen to get out of my garage. Stephen refused to leave,’ she also claimed.

Pappas said she then went into her house and locked the door, but went outside again after hearing noises in the garage and found Stagliano allegedly ‘stealing’ from her, it was claimed in the court documents.

‘Stephen took his hands, grabbing me, and then forcefully shoved me,’ she claimed again in the papers.

‘He pushed my back again. In fear that he would hurt me, I immediately went back inside the house and locked the door while I waited for the police to arrive,’ revealing it was Stagliano who called 911, it says in the court documents.

‘Stephen had told the Sheriff that I was the aggressor who assaulted him, which was false,’ she reportedly wrote in her request. 

‘At no time was I requested to test for alcohol despite Stephen’s allegations. In fact, the officer that arrested me exhibited no concern that I was at all intoxicated,’ she also claimed in the documents reportedly seen by UsWeekly.

After being charged with misdemeanor domestic violence, she was released on $20,000 bond. Pappas said she then voluntary submitted to drug tested and the result was negative for both alcohol and narcotics, she claimed in the court documents.

Their divorce agreement declared ‘neither party shall drink alcohol in excess of the legal limit during their custody periods, or have a child and/or children in their custody and control when being intoxicated,’ per papers obtained by In Touch. 

Pappas said claims made by her ex that she was drunk  was a ‘way for [Stephen] to gain leverage in his attempt to alienate the children from me.’

She also alleged that Stagliano had a pattern of ‘coaching our daughter to look for alcohol in the home,’  and that he had taught her to ‘literally sniff out alcohol and to alienate her from me by making her believe that I am an alcoholic.’

‘I am not an alcoholic,’  she stated.

In spite of the back and forth allegations between the two, Pappas said Stagliano’s ‘past mental health issues do not mean that I do not think he is a good father.’

‘Instead of looking for things and other people to blame, I want [him] to work with me to come up with solutions,’ she wrote in the documents.

‘I would describe our coparenting as “parallel parenting,” in that I handle the children when I have them, and Respondent does the same,’ Pappas declared in the filing.

‘That of course is with the exception of extreme situations, wherein both the Respondent and I will reach out to each other to let each other know what is going on with the children.’

She also mentioned that the kids were ‘concerned or uncomfortable with the Respondent’s live-in girlfriend,’ revealing in scenarios such as that she would contact her ex ‘to relay that information so that he can address that with the children how he sees fit.’

Pappas also said Stagliano was ‘accommodating when I need to switch custodial time due to my unique work schedule.’

The former Get Married co-host said the co-parenting relationship with Stagliano ‘certainly needs help’ but, ‘I do believe I have made significant effort for the sake of our children.’

Pappas first appeared on season 11 of The Bachelor in 2007 starring Brad Womack, 50, and was crushed during the season finale when he sent her home along with co-runner up Jenni Croft.

She then went on to star in season four of The Bachelorette that ended with an engagement to pro snowboarder Jesse Csincsak, 40.

Their relationship lasted only a few months before the engagement was called off.

Pappas then met Stagliano through his twin brother, Michael Stagliano, who appeared on season five of The Bachelorette, which starred Jillian Harris.

They married in 2012. 

When announcing their split in 2023, Pappas wrote on Instagram: ‘It is with immense sadness, Stephen & I have decided to end our relationship as a couple. We have been working hard for a long time — both as a married couple & as individuals — & have come to the conclusion to remain separate,’ she posted.

‘We remain loving parents to our beautiful children, Addison & Austin, & will continue to raise them together with love & faith. We ask you to respect our privacy during this difficult time as we navigate the new normal. We want to thank our dear friends & family for your endless support & many, many prayers during what has become the most difficult time of our lives,’ she added.