A lawyer for Susan Johnson, who claims the 'Southern Charm' star raped her in 2017, says the charge is 'unfair' and maintains her innocence.
- Feb 2, 2019
AceShowbiz - The tables have turned on John David Madison a.k.a. J.D. Madison's sexual assault accuser. Susan Johnson, who claimed that the "Southern Charm" star raped her in 2017, has been charged with filing a false police report of a felony in the case.
Susan was arrested in Charleston on Thursday, January 31. She was released on her own recognizance on the same day, according to Charleston County Sheriff's Office. And now her attorney is adamant that his client is speaking the truth.
Responding to the charge, Susan's attorney Trey Harrell says in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, "Susan is going to fight this unfair, unfounded charge. She was severely intoxicated on the night in question and so naturally there are some inconsistencies in her recollection. Such inconsistencies do not make her a liar, and they certainly do not make her a criminal."
"Susan does not remember sending any of the messages - or making any of the phone calls - that police are using as 'evidence' to dispute her recollection of what happened," Trey continues, "And the fact police are charging her based on their 'belief' that she lied about what happened is absolutely unconscionable."
He adds, "Not only is such a charge unfair to my client, it could have a chilling effect on other women who believe they have been similarly victimized." Trey insists, "My client is innocent of this charge and intends to defend herself vigorously in court."
Police's suspicion on Susan is explained in an arrest warrant affidavit, in which Detective Daniel Neese of the Mount Pleasant Police Department says that Susan indicated she was hoping to make money off of the alleged encounter. A year after the alleged attack, Susan "expressed to her friend (female witness) that if they stick together that they stand a chance to make money and in a separate text the suspect referred to talking to an attorney and going for big bucks," the affidavit states.
J.D. has not responded to the charge against Susan. She filed a police report accusing J.D. of "forcibly raping and sodomizing her" in September last year. In her report, she claimed that the alleged incident took place on August 21, 2017, when she, J.D., his male friend, and another female friend gathered at her house for a drink before heading out to a local bar.
Susan claimed J.D. "slipped a drug" in her drink and after finishing her drink she was "not feeling right" and "felt like she might have been drugged." In the early hours of August 22, she allegedly woke up in the guest bedroom of her home where J.D. was "forcibly raping and sodomizing her." She claimed that he only stopped when he received a phone call from his wife, Elizabeth.
