Michelle Branch arrested on domestic assault charges following split from husband Patrick Carney

The singer and Black Keys drummer share two children

(Nashville Police Department)

Michelle Branch has been arrested on domestic assault charges after allegedly slapping her husband Patrick Carney.

The arrest immediately follows the singer and The Black Keys drummer’s separation after three years of marriage. They share two children, Rhys James, four, and daughter Willie Jacquet, six months.

TMZ first reported that on Thursday (11 August), according to Nashville court documents, Branch had slapped Carney “one to two times” in the face.

Bail has been set at $1,000.

The Independent has reached out to Branch’s representatives for comment.

In an earlier statement shared with People announcing the split, Branch, 39, said: “To say that I am totally devastated doesn’t even come close to describing how I feel for myself and for my family.

“The rug has been completely pulled from underneath me and now I must figure out how to move forward. With such small children, I ask for privacy and kindness.”

The news comes after the Grammy Award-winning singer reportedly tweeted and deleted a post on Wednesday (10 August) night accusing The Black Keys drummer of cheating on her while she was “at home with our six-month-old baby.”

Michelle Branch and Patrick Carney (Getty Images)

Branch is also a mother to 17-year-old daughter Owen Isabelle from her previous marriage to bass player Teddy Landau, who she separated from in 2014.

The “Elsewhere” singer and Carney married in April 2019 at the Marigny Opera House in New Orleans, just one year after welcoming their son together. In February of this year they announced the birth of their second child, Willie Jacquet, in an Instagram post.

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, you can call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge, on 0808 2000 247, or visit their website here.