BuzzFeed is reporting that in divorce filings Nina Koupriianova alleges that her husband Richard Spencer, a prominent white nationalist, was “physically, emotionally, verbally and financially abusive.” In the filings, Koupriianova describes incidents of “being hit, being grabbed, being dragged around by her hair, being held down in a manner causing bruising, and being prevented from calling for help.”
The filings also include copies of emails and transcripts of phone calls. In one phone call, Spencer allegedly asked Koupriianova, “Do you think your parents will attend your funeral?”
Koupriianova also describes an incident in 2011 where she was dragged down the stairs. “I was very sick with the stomach flu, could not keep food or water down, and wanted to stay in bed recovering. Mr. Spencer wanted to watch a movie downstairs and did not take ‘no’ for an answer,” Koupriianova writes. “He dragged me out of bed by my arms, legs, and hair, dragged me down the stairs, and threw me onto the couch. At that point he calmed down and turned on his movie. The incident resulted in bruises.”
Koupriianova and Spencer married in 2010 and have two children. The filings also claim Spencer was verbally abusive in front of the children.
In court filings, Spencer himself stated that, “I dispute many of her assertions” and that he, “denies each, every, and all allegations.”
Spencer was a widely discussed figure in during Donald Trump’s political rise in 2015 and 2016 because he articulated the ideals of the “alt-right” (a movement he claims to have named). More recently, Spencer’s political star has waned after losing his perch on social media outlets such as Facebook.