Michelle Branch speaks out following her domestic assault arrest

Michelle Branch has spoken candidly following an altercation with her husband, Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney, that led to Branch’s arrest for domestic assault. During a Thursday appearance on The Tamron Hall Show, Branch elucidates some of the details of the August 12 incident where Branch was accused of slapping Carney “one to two times.” Charges from the incident have since been dismissed.

After previously announcing she planned to divorce Carney (and tweeting out adultery allegations against him), Branch now says that the pair have entered couples therapy and hope to turn over a new leaf in their relationship.

“My husband and I started therapy recently, and I wish we had started it six months ago, you know, I wish we’d gotten help and talked to someone sooner,” Branch says. She also shares that, going forward with this information out in the open, her plan is to be as openhearted and transparent as possible.

“The night that went down was so unfortunate, it was like the worst night of my life…” Branch shares. “But all I can do is be honest about what I’m going through and what’s going on. You know, I’m not the only person to have gone through this.”

When Hall asks Branch about the slap allegations, she doesn’t mince words in acknowledging her own guilt.

“They are not allegations,” Branch says. “I don’t condone violence. I slapped my husband. Not the finest moment of my life.”

Branch cites a variety of stressors in her life that foreshadowed the altercation, which she said happened after “all the blocks were stacked in a way that I didn’t have time to think about what I was doing.” Branch highlights lack of sleep, stress in work, life, and marriage, and a few too many drinks at a friend’s birthday party among those woefully-arranged blocks.

“It was one of those things that I was like, is this really happening? Did this really just happen?” Branch recalls. “And you’re realizing in real time, oh I probably shouldn’t have tweeted that, I definitely shouldn’t have let my anger get the best of me.”

Although she’s regretful it took a “horrible, traumatic” event to get where she is, Branch says that she remains hopeful that with a little bit of hand-to-the-grindstone healing, she and Carney can work towards a healthier relationship.

“How we were going was unsustainable, so maybe this will give [my husband and I] the tools to have a stronger marriage than we’ve ever had,” Branch concludes. “So we’re rolling up our sleeves and doing the work, which never sounds like fun, but we’re doing it.”