The Chase and Deal or No Deal host Andrew O’Keefe has been charged with domestic violence over the weekend, The Australian reports.
Police will allege that O’Keefe, 49, assaulted his rumoured partner Dr Orly Lavee at an apartment in Sydney at around 1am on Sunday.
“Just before 1am, officers from Eastern Beaches Police Area Command attended a Randwick unit, after reports a 41-year-old woman had allegedly been assaulted in a domestic violence related incident,” a spokesperson from NSW Police said in a statement to the NCA Newswire.
“Following inquiries, police arrested a 49-year-old man nearby about 3.30am.
“He was taken to Maroubra police station where he was charged with common assault (DV) and granted conditional bail to appear at Waverley Local Court on Thursday 4 February 2021.”
He’s since been granted bail on the condition that he doesn’t contact or approach Lavee unless through a lawyer, and stays away from her home.
It’s believed the two were in a serious relationship following O’Keefe’s split with his former wife in 2017.
The son of a former Supreme Court judge and a former lawyer himself, O’Keefe was one of the founding members of domestic violence foundation White Ribbon Australia, and served as the Chair of the org until 2012.
In 2017 he was even made a Member of the Order of Australia for his contributions not only to television, but to charities such as White Ribbon, as well.
On Sunday morning, Channel 7 denied rumours O’Keefe was about to be booted from the network after an insider claimed his time in and out of rehab was putting strain on the production schedule of The Chase. This DV charge may also impact his future as a presenter.
Channel 7 and O’Keefe himself both declined The Australian‘s requests for comment.
Help is available.
If you require immediate assistance, please call 000.
If you’d like to speak to someone about domestic violence, please call the 1800 Respect hotline on 1800 737 732 or chat online.
Under 25? You can reach Kids Helpline at 1800 55 1800 or chat online.
