Steely Dan founding member and lead singer Donald Fagen was charged with assault after a verbal dispute turned ugly and he allegedly shoved his wife, singer Libby Titus, into a marble window frame, knocking her to the ground, Monday night, reported the New York Times.
According to the criminal complaint filed, Titus, 69, suffered “bruising and swelling to her right arm, as well as substantial pain,” reported the New York Daily News. The incident occurred in the couple’s apartment in New York City’s Upper East Side.
Fagen, 67, was officially charged Tuesday morning in Manhattan Criminal Court with assault in the third degree and harassment. He was released without bail. Additionally, an order of protection was issued for him to stay away from Titus, whom he met at Bard College in the 1960s and then wed in 1993.
The New York Post reportedly contacted Titus twice after the incident. The first time, she told the newspaper: “I don’t feel good. I’m very tired and I’m divorcing my husband.” When the Post reached her a second time, she said: “I called [Fagen], and we’re friends. I don’t know what to do. I can’t talk to you about it. I’m not going to press charges.”
Fagen’s band, Steely Dan, is a popular jazz/rock outfit who debuted in 1972 and are known for songs like “Reelin’ in the Years” and “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.” The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.
