Michelle Branch Arrested for Domestic Assault

The Nashville police department has confirmed to SPIN that singer/songwriter Michelle Branch was detained for domestic abuse.

The arrest occurred after Branch announced her separation from her husband of three years, drummer Patrick Carney of the Black Keys. TMZ, which reported the story first, also noted that court records showed Branch struck Carney in the face “one to two times.” Branch’s bail was set at $1,000. She was reportedly released from custody early because she is breastfeeding the couple’s six-month-old child. 

Branch and Carney were married in 2019. “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,” Branch said on Thursday to TMZ. The announcement of their separation arrived just hours after Branch tweeted, then deleted, that Carney had an affair with his manager.

Branch became well-known as a singer-songwriter in the early 2000s as a result of her top-selling albums The Spirit Room and Hotel Paper. Her breakthrough track, “Everywhere,”  recently marked its 20th anniversary this year. Branch’s duet with Santana, “The Game of Love,” earned her a Grammy Award for pop collaboration with vocals.

Branch is preparing for the Sept. 16 release of her upcoming fourth studio album, The Trouble with Fever. The performer has Webster Hall in New York on her autumn tour itinerary. A representative for Branch has not yet responded to SPIN‘s request for comment.