Gary Coleman was charged this week with reckless driving and disorderly conduct, stemming from an incident earlier this month in Utah with a man named Colt Rushton. Now, his attorney is telling ET that the former “Diff’rent Strokes” plans to fight the charges.

“These charges are crazy,” Coleman’s attorney says. “Mr. Rushton created this situation on his own. We plan to fight these charges until Mr. Coleman is vindicated. Even Mr. Rushton admits that he was hanging around in the parking lot by Gary’s truck. Gary’s testimony will confirm that he, his wife and friends had delayed leaving the bowling alley assuming that Mr. Rushton and his party had departed.”

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WENN

Gary Coleman was formally charged Wednesday with reckless driving and disorderly conduct following an altercation at a bowling alley in Utah.

“Mr. Coleman was notified today of the charges through his attorney,” said Lt. Bill Wright of the Payson, Utah, Police Department. “(Coleman) never spoke to us about what happened, but we gathered evidence after speaking to witnesses and the other party involved.”

Both charges are misdemeanors.

Coleman, 40, was backing out of a bowling alley around midnight on Sept. 6 when his truck hit Colt Rushton, 24, as well as another car. Rushton was taken to a local hospital and treated for minor injuries.

Witnesses said Coleman became irritated after Rushton photographed him. The two argued in the bowling alley and then moved outside, Lt. Wright said.

Rushton’s attorney, Dustin Lance, said in a statement: “This wasn’t a situation of paparazzi or stalker-razzi, this was a fan snapping two photographs with a cell phone.”

Rushton has since filed a lawsuit against Coleman, seeking damages for medical bills, pain and suffering, and punitive damages.

A rep for Coleman wasn’t immediately available for comment.

Source

WENN

Actor Gary Coleman was involved in a car accident in Utah in which a 24-year-old pedestrian suffered minor injuries, after police say Coleman and the 24 year old got into an alleged arugment.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports Coleman, 40, was backing out of a bowling alley in a town about one hour south of Salt Lake City around midnight Friday when his truck hit another car and a pedestrian identified as Colt Reston, the Tribune quotes police Lt. Bill Wright as saying. Reston was taken to a hospital where he was treated for minor injuries, Wright said.

Witnesses told police the actor became irritated after Reston photographed him and the two argued in the bowling alley before moving outside.

Wright said neither Coleman nor Reston were cooperative at the scene and added that there were “indications” that alcohol was a factor in the incident. No citations were issued.

The “Different Strokes” actor made headlines earlier this year when he and his wife Shannon Price agreed to appear on the TV show “Divorce Court” in hopes it could help resolve marital issues.

Source

WENN

Gary Coleman and his wife are heading to Divorce Court in a bid to save their seven-month marriage.

The couple has taped a TV showdown with Divorce Court regular Judge Lynn Toler, hoping her advice can help them reach their first wedding anniversary.

The actor, 40, and his 22-year-old bride wed in secret last year but the romance has already been replaced with hostility.

In an interview with U.S. news show Entertainment Tonight, Coleman’s young wife Shannon admits she’s had enough of the former Diff’rent Strokes star’s tantrums.

She says, “If he doesn’t get his way, he throws a temper tantrum like a five-year-old does.”

Meanwhile, the actor, 40, insists his wife doesn’t listen to him: “If I have to throw something or break something, that’s what’s going to happen.”

After taping the show recently, Judge Toler asked the couple to return to her courtroom in six months for an update hearing.

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ET sat down with Gary Coleman and his wife of 7 months, Shannon Price, in a two-part interview to air on Friday, April 25th and Monday, April 28th.

Jann was with Gary and Shannon as they visited the show “Divorce Court” to help with their marital problems, “We’re difficult people to figure out. We’re sensitive one minute and stubborn the next,” Shannon says. “I have said to him (before), ‘Give me a divorce!’” Gary adds, “(Problems) build and then we don’t talk to each other for a week.”

Gary acknowledges that his temper is an issue, “It gets as bad as it needs to be to get her to listen. If I have to throw something or break something, that’s what’s going to happen.” He admits to throwing a chair, tables and a fax machine, but says he would never harm her, “Stuff can be replaced. She cannot be replaced.” Despite his impatience, Gary insists, “I’m not a controlling husband. There’s no leash on her.”

On having a baby, Gary says, “I promised her one, I just don’t know when it’s going to happen. I know that once I made that promise I committed myself to a life of hell because now I have to be a father. I have to make more money to take care of this second person. I’m not gonna want to be daddy all the time. We don’t know what kind of child we are going to have. I’m hoping her genes are stronger than mine.”

When it comes to their 18 year age difference, Shannon says it’s not a factor in their problems, “Not a lot of people age as gracefully as he does. When I tell him he looks 12, it’s a compliment!”

ET