R&B crooner Mario’s mother is singing a different tune after dropping assault charges she pressed against her “Let Me Love You” son in early October.
Shawntia Hardaway was intoxicated when she told police her son, whose real name is Mario Dewar Barrett, had pushed her, causing “minor pain,” according to police reports. Hardaway’s attorney, Richard Woods, said she was simply upset when she filed the report.
“It was much to do about nothing,” Woods said, according to the Baltimore Sun. “I met with her, she told me what happened and there wasn’t any criminal action on the part of Mario.”
Hardaway told police on Sept. 27 that the former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant, 24, pushed her “eight feet into a living room wall,” causing her to strike her head.
Mario was arrested and charged with one count of second-degree assault and later released after he posted a $50,000 bond.
His attorney pointed to Hardaway’s drug use as a reason for the initial accusations.
“It was clear from the beginning that Mario never touched or struck his mother,” he said. “She was under the influence of drugs when she gave her statement to police. To her credit, she corrected her statement in court today.”
