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Celebrity Justice2/21/2010 2:24 AM PST BY TMZ STAFF
Arrested 'Flavor' Star -- 'I Did What I Had To Do'

Hotlanta -- the "Flavor of Love" star who got cuffed in Georgia last month for alleged child cruelty -- claims she did what she had to do ... but her son was never harmed in the violent incident that got her arrested.



Hotlanta -- aka 29-year-old Nicole Essigmann (right) -- tells TMZ that she never laid a hand on her 4-year-old son. The whole incident was because her baby daddy -- a guy named Jerry Robinson -- got her mother (left) in a headlock.

According to Nicole, she was going with her mom -- Jill Essigmann -- to pick up her son from Robinson's home. When her mom went in to get the child, Nicole claims there was some kind of physical altercation and Robinson emerged with her mother in a headlock.

Nicole tells TMZ: "I did what I had to do ... Anybody in my shoes would have done the same thing if they saw their mom in a headlock. I laid the smackdown."

According to Nicole, the reason for the child abuse charge is because her son witnessed the violent incident.

Both Nicole and her mother were arrested on two counts of simple battery. Nicole was also charged with child cruelty. The case is still being investigated.

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Reader Comments

(Page 1 of 2) | 1 | 2 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments
1.

cindy:  722 days ago

first

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2.

Joey:  722 days ago

This bitch is crazy...

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3.

APRIL:  722 days ago

IF HE DID DO THAT HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN CHARGED FOR DOING THAT IN FRONT OF THE CHILD I WOULD DO THE SAME IF IT WAS MY MOM

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4.

Jethrow:  722 days ago

Just another day in the trailer park.

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5.

DOODAD:  722 days ago

You're not fooling anyone, Fuglanta.
TWO counts of battery, one for assaulting Jerry and another one for your own freakin' kid.
pathetic.

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6.

kromen:  722 days ago

And Flava breathes a sigh of relief. I bet she still trying to get paid that child support.

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7.

CriticAl:  722 days ago

That's why these type of laws are stupid (my state has something similar). This woman is now in trouble because a child was present when she was defending her mother? It's just ridiculous.

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8.

RayUK:  722 days ago

You telling me you can't defend your kin in front of your kids without getting arrested? That's insane man! Who came up with that crap? Left wing idiots are bringing human kind to its knees.

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9.

just asking:  722 days ago

I would love to know if the father was also charged with child cruelty?

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10.

blanket jackson:  722 days ago

if these were the last two women on earth id turn gay.

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11.

julz:  722 days ago

.......UM......shouldn't they have arrested the guy instead?? wtf is going on over there

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12.

Redd:  722 days ago

Pure white TRASH!!!!

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13.

Lisa:  722 days ago

I don't remember her from the show. This story doesn't make sense. So, the husband didn't get charged with anything..Crazy!

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14.

Ted Coyle:  722 days ago

Damn Strait! If that's the way it really happened. I'd have kicked the guys ass all the way to the court house along with the "arresting officer" for being one sided about it. Too damned many crazy "laws" these days. Let's start wearing a six shoot on our hips and talking later. . .

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15.

pattijen:  722 days ago

And where are the charges against Jerry Robinson for assault? And where are his charges for doing that in front of the child as well? What a double standard.

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