Meredith Baxter Says She Was Physically Abused By Ex David Birney
March 1 2011, Published 10:20 a.m. ET
Actress Meredith Baxter, who played mother Elyse Keaton on 80s TV hit Family Ties, said she was a victim of domestic violence by the hands of her ex-husband David Birney in her new book Untied, and RadarOnline.com has the details for you.
The now openly gay Baxter, 63, said she never knew when to expect a physical outburst from David, the father of her three children.
"It was so sudden and unexpected, I couldn't tell you which hand hit me, or even how hard," she wrote of David, her Bridget Loves Birney co-star, who she was married to from 1974 to 1989. "I do recall thinking, 'I'd better not get up because he's going to hit me again.'"
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Baxter, who came out of the closet in 2009, said she hit the bottle to cope with the abuse, but has been sober since 1990, the year after they split.
In the past, Birney has denied the allegations.
Baxter's book, Untied, hits stores Tuesday, March 1.
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