'I Lied To Protect Her:' Madonna Badger's Ex Claims She Was To Blame For Deadly Fire
May 10 2016, Published 3:27 p.m. ET
The former boyfriend and contractor of Madonna Badger, whose three daughters and parents tragically died in a Christmas Day house fire in 2011, now claims that the deadly blaze was, in fact, her fault — and not his.
Stamford Fire
In a lawsuit obtained by the Hartford Courant, Badger's ex-boyfriend, Michael Borcina, released new statements regarding the fire, claiming that he previously lied about leaving a bag of ashes in the mudroom of the home that evening .
Today – Season 61
According to Borcina, he was hoping to "protect" Badger at the time, who was grieving the loss of her family.
Stamford Fire
Borcina attempted "to spare her from carrying the burden that maybe she had done something to hurt her family," his statement read, according to the Courant.
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, a blaze sparked by yule log embers in the century-old Connecticut house killed Badger's daughter Lily, 10; her 7-year-old twin sisters Sarah and Grace; and their grandparents Lomer Johnson and Pauline Johnson.
Stamford Fire
All of the victims died from smoke inhalation, except for Lomer, who fell through the roof during a heroic effort to rescue his granddaughters.
Funeral Held For The Three Children Killed In Christmas Day Fire In Connecticut
Though prosecutors decided not to file criminal charges against Borcina following the fire, his construction company, which had been heavily renovating the house at the time, agreed to pay $5 million in a settlement to the children's estates.
Funeral Held For The Three Children Killed In Christmas Day Fire In Connecticut
Meanwhile, father Matthew Badger has vowed not to rest "until he gets the answers about why his precious girls died."
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Just months after the horrible fire, Madonna Badger sat down for an interview on the TODAY Show, describing the events leading up to the tragedy. "I remember thinking to myself, 'I should put that bag outside,' " she said. "And then I remember thinking, 'No, I watched Michael Borcina put his hands through it.' "