Ravenel says allegations of assault are "without merit"

U.S. Senate candidate Thomas Ravenel says allegations that he assaulted his girlfriend's stylist are "without merit."

A Charleston Police Department spokesman said Wednesday that police are investigating the assault allegations reported Monday by Lauren Moser, friend and stylist of Kathryn Dennis who is Ravenel's girlfriend and the mother of his infant daughter Kensington.

"I learned through a news report that the Charleston Police Department is investigating this incident, and I am totally confident that once the investigation is completed, the truth will come out and any allegations against me will be found to be without merit," Ravenel said in a statement released Wednesday.

"I look forward to meeting with any member of law enforcement if they believe it will be helpful to their investigation."

Ravenel is the star of Bravo's reality television show "Southern Charm," and this year decided to run against U.S. Sen. Linsdey Graham as a petition candidate in the Nov. 4 election.

Moser said she went to Ravenel and Dennis' home Friday to hang out, and was sitting outside in the dark when Ravenel "stormed out of the house" holding his baby and "yelled to Kathryn that she needed to take care of the sleeping child," according to the police report.

Moser told police that Ravenel "slipped and fell into the pool with the baby," then pulled the baby out of the pool and handed her to Kathryn.

At that time, Moser told police, she started recording with her phone camera. As she followed Ravenel into the house, "he swung the door hard ... and it bounced off the victim's knee."

When the door did not close, Ravenel allegedly "swung the door again and this time the door struck the victim on the inside of the right arm due to the fact that her hand was raised because she was videoing the episode."

Moser told police that, from the force of the door, she fell backward "down three steps and into some bushes."

With Ravenel upstairs, Moser said that she stayed with Kathryn in the living room "to gather her thoughts and to make sure that the baby and Kathryn were fine before she left." She left the house after Ravenel allegedly came into the living room "naked and began screaming" at her to leave.

This story was originally published October 22, 2014 at 4:57 PM with the headline "Ravenel says allegations of assault are "without merit"."