Norman Reedus and Helena Christensen‘s son, Mingus, made a virtual appearance in court on Tuesday, August 26, following his arrest for an alleged assault.
The 25-year-old’s attorney Priya Chaudhry was present in the New York City court on Tuesday, where a judge signed off on an order of protection preventing Mingus from having any contact with the complainant, referred to as Ms. Cotter, including phone, email, social media, text or communication through a third party.
According to an insider, Mingus “seemed calm and compliant” while the judge spoke. Mingus was warned not to respond if Cotter contacts him, as doing so would violate the order of protection and an arrest warrant could be granted.
The judge also ruled that Mingus must leave immediately if he sees Cotter at the apartment building where they lived.
Mingus is expected to be back in court for an in-person appearance on October 8.
“I want to be clear about one last thing, sir,” the judge said. “Ms. Cotter has no obligations with respect to this order of protection. None. Zero. The only obligation, the only person obligated by this order of protection is you. And that’s because this is not her order of protection. This is my order of protection and I am telling you to stay away.”
Us Weekly confirmed on Saturday, August 23, that Mingus was taken into police custody after allegedly assaulting his girlfriend. Authorities confirmed a 33-year-old woman was present at the scene with injuries to her neck and leg.
According to court records viewed by TMZ, Mingus was charged with reckless physical injury, aggravated harassment and second-degree harassment. He pleaded not guilty to all counts.
“Despite what the prosecutor said in court — which is not evidence — they chose to charge Mingus with misdemeanors or less. This speaks volumes, and much louder than the unsupported prosecutor’s in-court comments,” Chaudhry shared in a statement to Us on Sunday, August 24. “Equally important, the judge released Mingus on his own recognizance, with neither bail nor supervision. That significant judicial decision amplifies the volume. Mingus is presumed innocent and has pled not guilty. As the facts emerge, his innocence will become clear.”
Reedus and Christensen, both 56, have not publicly addressed their son’s arrest. The former couple welcomed Mingus in 1999, one year after they began dating. The pair called it quits in 2003.
In the years since their split, Reedus and Christensen have remained amicable coparents. They reunited in 2018 for Mingus’ graduation. At the time, a source referred to Mingus as a “kind-hearted” person.
“It was a beautiful celebration and Norman couldn’t have seemed prouder for Mingus. Mingus is a great kid and gets along well with everyone,” the insider told Us. “It was a joyous family occasion and Norman and Helena were incredibly sweet and really seemed to enjoy each other’s company.”
Mingus had another run-in with the law in 2021 when he was arrested for allegedly punching a woman in the face. He claimed at the time that he “threw his arm out” in self-defense after the alleged victim “swarmed” him and his friends.
“It was instinct,” he told the New York Daily News. “I was reacting to them swarming me and was afraid for the safety of my group.”
Mingus claimed the woman was “under the influence and looking for a fight,” adding, “We didn’t think anything of it, but these five girls followed us for two blocks, throwing food at us and yelling. We told them to leave us alone, but they kept following, threatening to hurt my girlfriend and her friend.”
Attorney Isabelle Kirshner alleged in a statement to People that Mingus “was the victim in this incident.” He pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and was reportedly sentenced to five counseling sessions.
Ahead of Tuesday’s appearance, Mingus was overheard calling a reporter “ugly” while leaving an NYC courtroom on Saturday.
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