Domestic Violence Headlines for the Week of Nov. 24

Domestic violence did not take a holiday break, unfortunately.

Singer and Actor Ray J Arrested on Thanksgiving After Livestreaming Domestic Dispute

Ray J, 44, singer and younger brother of recording artist Brandy, whose real name is Willie Norwood, was arrested Thursday morning after Los Angeles police received a call reporting a domestic dispute. Ray J reportedly livestreamed on Instagram, saying he was having “the worst Thanksgiving in the f*cking world.” Then, he grabbed a handgun from a table and argued with his wife about their children's custody. Ray J and Princess Love have been married since 2016 and have filed for divorce four times with the latest being in February 2024. They share two children, ages 5 and 7. 

This isn’t the first time Ray J has been in trouble for assaulting a woman. In May 2014, he was accused of assaulting a woman at a hotel bar. After he refused to leave the building, police arrested him and the situation escalated. He was later charged with sexual battery, vandalism of a police car, battery on a police officer and resisting arrest. He initially pled not guilty. In August, he took a plea deal, pleading no contest to a single trespassing charge and received community service and probation. 

A domestic violence survivor is five times more likely to be killed by an abuser when there is easy access to a firearm. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, more than 70 women are shot and killed by an intimate partner every month. Not all states make people with a domestic violence misdemeanor give up their guns. However, a survivor can ask the courts for an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO). This restraining order lets family members or law enforcement take guns from anyone seen as a risk to themselves or others. 

Source: ABCNews.com

Seeking Sister Wife Star Arrested on Domestic Violence, Threatens to Call ICE on Wife

A Colorado man from the reality show *Seeking Sister Wife* was arrested Monday. He faces domestic violence charges against one of his two wives, Lorrana. Garrick Merrifield, 40, was arrested in Chaffee County, Colo. He faces charges of misdemeanor domestic violence and obstructing telephone service. He has since been released on bail. 

Garrick was married to Dannielle Merrifield for 10 years, and the two share three children together. The couple legally divorced in 2020 so Garrick could also be in a relationship with Lorrana. He said he felt “inspired by God” to enter a de facto plural marriage in October of last year with both women. In July 2025, the throuple welcomed a baby girl via Lorrana, whom they named Sarah. 

Domestic violence in plural relationships, especially when child custody issues are a factor, can present more challenges for survivors to have protections, warn advocates. Legally, courts may not recognize these de facto marriages as legal, leaving the survivor without the right to financial support. 

Spiritual abuse is also a common tactic when an abuser is attempting to control or manipulate their partner. Abusers may cherry-pick bible verses that talk about being obedient to a husband or use the scriptures that talk about obedience to demand a partner do things they’re not comfortable with, such as things that are illegal or sexually coercive. Questioning him is on par with questioning God, they’ll say. 

In Monday’s fight, Garrick threatened to call U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Lorrana, who is from Brazil. He said he would have her deported. Garrick then stole Lorrana’s phone so she could not call her family or the police. Lorrana said she was scared because she isn’t familiar with the laws in the U.S. but that she is in the country legally on a visa. Unfortunately, more abusers are now using threats of deportation against immigrant survivors. This scare tactic is often effective, especially when abusers throw in the threat of taking away the survivor’s children. It is important that immigrant survivors develop a safety plan and reach out to their local domestic violence agency for support. There are protections available. Learn more in “Domestic Violence Safety Planning for Immigrants.”

Sources: People.com, UsMagazine.com

Four Killed in Ohio as Mother Tries to Leave Abusive Husband

Late last week in Tiffin, Ohio, four people died. This tragic event included two young children. Their mother, Raven Broski, was trying to escape her abusive husband. Ryan Eagon, 42, Broski’s husband, shot and killed Dustin Willey, 29, the woman’s ex-partner, as he was helping her to remove belongings from the home she shared with Eagon. The two had thought Eagon was out of town at the time Broski was escaping. Broski’s 7-year-old son, Wrenn, whom she shared with Willey, was also with them, and Eagon turned the gun on the young boy next, fatally shooting him. Eagon and the woman shared a 7-month-old son, August, whom Eagon also shot and killed before Eagon took his own life. Broski was the lone survivor of the murder-suicide. 

A familicide is used to describe when someone kills multiple close family members in close succession, most often their spouse and children. One study shows that a familicide takes place once every five days in the U.S. Lax gun laws are often thought to make these statistics worse. 

Abusers are notoriously the most dangerous when they feel like they’re losing control of their partner, often when the survivor decides to leave the relationship. In 2015, Megan Hiatt faced a tragic event. Her abusive husband killed their two children and her father. He also tried to kill Megan before taking his own life as she tried to escape.

A GoFundMe to support the family has been created by Broski’s mother, the boys’ grandmother. 

Source: ABC 13

Papua New Guinea Has a Serious Domestic Violence Problem

More women than not are being abused by their male partners in Papua New Guinea (PNG), according to a recent analysis. At least 64 percent of women in PNG report experiencing intimate partner violence, more than double the global average. 

More than 5,000 participants across multiple PNG provinces were randomly selected and surveyed by a team led by researcher Dr. Vilupti Corlis. Collecting data in Papua New Guinea is tough because many communities are remote, people speak different languages and topics like domestic violence carry a lot of stigma. Dr. Corlis said more research would help strengthen national efforts to prevent and address the problem.

The island country, north of Australia in the South Pacific, has about 11 million people. They speak over 840 languages. This diversity can cause tension in culture and politics. Some argue this fragmentation is to blame for the persistent violence against women. 

There is often a line outside of PNG’s police department of women waiting to report abuse. PNG’s family and sexual violence unit got over 10,300 reports of domestic violence in just seven months, based on 2024 data. The result was just 330 arrests and 391 protection orders.

"There may be two or three [officers] in the FSVU. and you are looking at almost 100 survivors coming a day," Shirley Kaupa, who runs the Magna Carta safe house in Port Moresby, a women’s shelter, tells RNZ.

“And when a survivor goes there and sees that very long [line] and she's worn out, because the other night she was running around - she's hungry, the baby, the children are hungry - they just give up."

According to the ABC article, the PNG government announced a 10-year, $65 million plan in November 2025 targeting the prevention of gender-based violence. (This plan cannot be confirmed by DomesticShelters.org.) Prime Minister James Marape says the plan will include at least one safe house in every district and provide specialist training to 500 police officers. 

Intimate partner femicide is when partners kill female-identifying individuals because of gender. This issue is growing around the world. According to the World Health Organization, partners are responsible for more than 35 percent of all murders of women globally. Gender-based violence isn't just murder. It can also include forced marriages. It can also include female genital mutilation. Learn more in “What Is Gender-Based Violence?”

Source: RNZ.co.nz