Family Matters Star Jaleel White Had A Complicated Personal Life
Actor Jaleel White is best known to audiences for his role as the nerdy Steve Urkel on the sitcom "Family Matters," but his offscreen personal matters haven't been so comedic. In addition to comments from his former co-stars about his past behavior, White has faced allegations of domestic violence from ex-girlfriend Bridget Hardy, who is also the mother of his child, although TMZ reported in 2010 that White was never charged with battery in the alleged incident.
Hearing that a former child star has ended up in trouble with the law is almost always concerning for members of the public, so it's understandable that White's legal issues with Hardy made headlines at the time. When the controversy entered the headlines again in 2012, White made the decision to speak out, as noted by Entertainment Tonight. The actor then took the opportunity to clarify what had happened between him and Hardy, telling his side of the story.
If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.
Jaleel White claimed Bridget Hardy was acting intentionally
Addressing the resurgence of the domestic violence allegations that ex-girlfriend Bridget Hardy had made against him in 2010, actor Jaleel White explained to "Entertainment Tonight" (via Daily Mail), "There was no verbal abuse. Couples argue, that's normal. I'm not going to pretend like we didn't have any arguments, obviously we broke up. But to say verbal abuse, and to come out with that during 'Dancing With The Stars,' when this is an old child custody case matter that was settled in 2010, this is not a new story. It was an attack on my joy."
White remained consistent with his version of events and his reiteration of the fact that his conflict with Hardy was in relation to the custody of their child together. In a statement originally published by People and reposted via ET, he said in part, "The allegations made against me back in 2010 have suspiciously resurfaced in time to coincide with my new show on Syfy and Dancing With The Stars ... Bridget Hardy has consistently shown a knack for timing throughout our child custody disputes."
He has remained focused on his child
Although he has faced some issues with ex-girlfriend Bridget Hardy, including allegations of abuse, Jaleel White continued in his 2012 statement, via ET, that his priority has remained on his daughter with Hardy. Stated White, "My only hope is that when my daughter Googles her parents one day in her future, she sees that her father acted with class and dignity when pressed to the fire...Bridget Hardy is the mother of my only daughter in this world and without Ms. Hardy I would not have the treasure that is my daughter. God knows the truth ... I ask for your sensitivity during this time, I can assure all of my fans this is only residue from a child custody matter."
As shown by Essence, White has continued to post photos of himself with his daughter, Samaya, on his social media profiles in the years since his public disputes with Hardy. In one carousel of photos posted to his Instagram account, for instance, White can be seen posing alongside Samaya as the father-daughter duo attended a Golden State Warriors basketball game together.
Fortunately, it appears that White has been able to move on from the past and put his energy into parenting Samaya.