Who Is Mareli Miniutti? Michael Avenatti Responds To Actress Seeking Restraining Order

UPDATE: 4:27 a.m. EST — Michael Avenatti took to his Twitter account early Tuesday, reiterating his confidence about being cleared in the alleged domestic violence allegation against him.

“People think they are so smart. Until they post stuff on IG that undercuts their bogus, fabricated claims they made less than 24 hrs earlier. We can’t wait for justice! #Basta,” he wrote in one post, followed by another, which read: “There is nothing more powerful than video evidence. NOTHING! I will be fully exonerated.”

While Avenatti did not give out any more details about the video evidence, it was believed to be linked to Instagram posts of actress Mareli Miniutti, shared hours after the lawyer was arrested last Wednesday, following her complaint. In the now-deleted posts, Miniutti seemed happy and did not have the bruise marks, which according to a TMZ source, were seen on the alleged victim’s face. However, it cannot be confirmed if Miniutti apparently hid her bruises with a lot of makeup when she posted the live messages to Instagram.

Miniutti made her Instagram page private on Thursday, but several social media users captured her Instagram messages and shared them online.

Original story:

Actress Mareli Miniutti, who accused prominent lawyer Michael Avenatti of domestic abuse, is seeking a restraining order against him days after his brief arrest. The petition was filed Monday at the Santa Monica branch of Los Angeles County Superior Court, online records showed.

Miniutti, a native of Estonia in Eastern Europe, most recently appeared in a cameo role in the movie "Ocean’s 8." She is due to appear in two movies, "Sargasso" and Kurt Russell's "Crypto" — both slated to release this year. Miniutti also appeared in the 2016 Rebel Wilson comedy, "How to Be Single." According to reports, Miniutti previously lived in New York City but recently moved to the Los Angeles area.

Shortly after the news of the court filing was reported by the Blast, Avenatti issued a statement on Twitter.

“I look forward to a full clearing of my name and disclosure of all of the facts. I have NEVER abused a woman or committed domestic violence against anyone. Any claim to the contrary is completely bogus and fabricated. I am a target. And I will be exonerated,” he wrote.

Avenatti was arrested Wednesday after a woman called police accusing him of domestic violence. Avenatti, whose bail was set at $50,000, was released about four hours after being taken into custody.

“I wish to thank the hard working men and women of the LAPD for their professionalism,” he said in a statement issued the day of the arrest. “They were only doing their jobs in light of the completely bogus allegations against me.”

According to a TMZ law enforcement source, the alleged victim's face was "swollen and bruised" with "red marks" on both cheeks from the incident that took place last week Tuesday. The following day, she was reportedly seen covering her face, screaming into her cell phone, "I can't believe you did this to me. I'm going to get a restraining order against you."

TMZ had earlier reported that the woman who accused Avenatti of domestic violence was his estranged wife. However, Lisa Storie-Avenatti later released a statement via her attorney denying the claim. The celebrity news website also later clarified that the incident involved a different woman.

After being released from police custody, Avenatti — best known for representing adult entertainment actress Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit against President Donald Trump — suggested that right-wing provocateur Jacob Wohl was behind a conspiracy that resulted in his Nov. 14 arrest.

“I have located someone more dishonest with less of a moral compass and lower standards than Donald Trump. His name is Jacob Wohl. And I am going to make it part of my life’s work to bring him to justice,” Avenatti tweeted Sunday.

In a statement to the Wrap, Wohl denied any involvement in Avenatti’s arrest: "I’ve not been served with any papers. He would be well advised to stop threatening me. He is attempting to deflect blame away from the very serious charge he is facing."

Meanwhile, Daniels also released a statement Thursday about the incident, saying, "These are serious and obviously very troubling allegations, but right now that is all they are: allegations. We should all reserve judgement until the investigation — an investigation Michael has said he welcomes — is complete, and that's what I'm going to do."

She added: "But of course I do not condone violence against women and if these allegations prove true I will be seeking new representation."