The photographs of Charles Saatchi "strangling" Nigella Lawson outside Scott's restaurant in London's Mayfair left fans of the TV chef shocked, but now the advertising guru has apparently stated that he intends to reveal "the truth" about their breakup.
Despite being photographed with his hands around the celebrity chef's throat and accepting a police caution for the incident, Saatchi is reportedly furious that his reputation has been damaged by the incident. And now, according to sources, is intending to sue his ex-wife for £500,000 in a court case where he will reveal "the truth" about their breakup.
"Charles has been painted as the villain in all this – millions of people are convinced he was assaulting Nigella outside the restaurant. But there are very genuine reasons for why he was holding on to her."
"She has never given a public account of what was happening."
"He has just been damned by the photographs, her silence, and his acceptance of a police caution – which he did only to protect her from a lengthy probe by officers. But he has never been able to explain the truth about what was going on."
According to the Daily Mail, a letter sent by Saatchi's lawyers to Nigella's legal team has laid out a series of allegations against the popular cook (which cannot be made public for legal reasons), claiming her actions have cost her former husband a fortune.
The letter also warns that, should Nigella refuse to settle matter voluntarily, Saatchi is poised to sue her for around half a million pounds.
At the time of the shocking photographs, Saatchi described the "strangling" incident as a "playful tiff", insisting his "actions were not violent" and that he was "disappointed" his ex-wife had not publicly stated he had "never abused her physically in any way."
It will be interesting to see how this case unfolds but, in the meantime, what do you think of Saatchi's claims? Let us know below via our Comment Box - we'd love to hear your thoughts.