SOUTHAMPTON, NEW YORK: Fox News anchor Julie Banderas' husband has been cleared of all charges after she alleged he had put a steak knife to her throat during a dispute over mashed potatoes. After hearing testimony in a non-jury trial, a town judge in Southampton declared Andrew Sansone not guilty. Sansone, 55, also claimed that his wife Banderas made up the tale during their acrimonious divorce.
Why were charges against Andrew Sansone dropped?
A Southampton town judge declared Sansone not guilty over his claims that he only took the knife in jest and never actually threatened her after she consumed the potatoes, he had prepared for the kids' meal, reports Daily Mail. In his decision on July 25, Judge Gary Weber summarized the arguments and mentioned that Banderas was trying out a new dish that Sansone had made by taking several spoonfuls from the mixing bowl.
The judge emphasized that Sansone also provided a simultaneous text message to the person who gave him the recipe, in which he stated the spicing was a hit and included a picture of the dish. According to his lawyer Edward Burke, "This malicious accusation against my client was a blatant misuse of the criminal justice system, using it as a sword and not a shield, purely to gain leverage in divorce court."
The judge further stated that Banderas' statements had not been confirmed by any other witnesses and that "no evidence of a history of violence or threats of violence that tends to impeach the defendant's testimony" had been presented. The judge, thus, declared that "for all of these reasons, the court finds that the People have failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant possessed the steak knife with the intent to use the same unlawfully against another or to place another in reasonable fear of physical injury or death."
Did Andrew Sansone assault Julie Banderas?
Sansone was detained and accused of threatening and illegal weapon possession for the reported altercation that allegedly occurred at their Hamptons residence on December 14, 2022. The 49-year-old Fox anchor claimed that he flew into a frenzy when Banderas consumed the mashed potatoes he prepared for their children and pointed a steak knife at her neck, and made her fear for her life. Their three children, who are aged 6, 10, and 12, were apparently in another room at the time.
According to a Daily Mail report, the couple was fighting about finances as they battled over their impending divorce and child custody concerns. Banderas waited for 5 days before calling the cops on December 19 to have her husband of 14 years arrested. The article also stated that a judge issued a restraining order barring Sansone from speaking to his wife again following the event. He does, however, still have the right to pick up the kids at the curb and visit them.
What did Andrew Sansone say in his defense?
In accordance with Banderas' testimony, the third scoop of the mashed potatoes was what allegedly set Sansone off. She claimed that after her husband warned her to stop touching the potatoes any longer, he took the knife from the counter and held it "right up against my throat but not touching my skin."Banderas claimed she shouted, "What the f**k are you doing?" and Sansone retorted, "I thought you had a sense of humor. I was just kidding."
Sansone testified in court that when his wife touched him, he instructed her in a "playful, sarcastic way" to wait for dinner while pointing the knife at her at arm's length. Sansone also stated that after supper with the family, his wife went out with friends to a nearby bar to drink till two in the morning. He alleged that she misrepresented the friendly exchange and filed a false police report.
In her testimony, Banderas stated that she skipped dinner with the family that evening and went to her bedroom on her own before leaving. According to the judge's summary, Banderas admitted during cross-examination that she had previously threatened to fabricate a "really juicy story" about her husband to strengthen her position in the divorce. In his judgment on July 25, Judge Weber stated that "These candid admissions might be viewed as bearing upon the complainant's credibility."
Are Julie Banderas and Andrew Sansone divorced?
Banderas is a 2005 addition to the Fox News Channel on Outnumbered fills in as an anchor during the workweek. Financial advisor Sansone filed for divorce in March 2022. After a fan said that the couple had left them in "stitches," Banderas responded by declaring their split on her Twitter account on December 9 by referring to her spouse as her "soon to be ex." Sansone allegedly made a knife threat to her five days later.
Then, in February 2023, the Fox anchor made a surprise live divorce announcement on 'Gutfeld.' When host Greg Gutfeld started talking about Valentine's Day and asked the anchor whether she plans to receive anything special for the day, Banderas didn't hold back to quip on the subject. She said at the time, "F*** Valentine's Day! It's stupid. I mean, even when I was married, I didn't get s***." She immediately declared, "I'm getting a divorce. I am going to go ahead and say it right here for the very first time."
