Hank Williams Jr. charged with assaulting waitress

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) – Hank Williams Jr.
surrendered to police in Memphis on Tuesday to face an assault
charge involving a waitress, officials said.

The country music entertainer was released without bond and
ordered to appear in court on Wednesday to face a charge of
assault to commit bodily harm stemming from an incident last
month at a hotel. His publicist said he was innocent.

Shelby County Sheriff’s public relations director Steve
Shular said Holly Hornbeak, 19, claimed Williams tried to kiss
her when she waited on him at the hotel dining room and then
choked and cursed her.

A star in his own right, Williams, 56, is a son of
legendary songwriter-singer Hank Williams who died in 1953 at
age 29. The younger Williams had been staying in Memphis where
one of his daughters was being treated after an auto accident.

His publicist, Kirt Webster, issued a statement saying
Williams was innocent of the charges and “a victim of greed.”
Webster said the entertainer had received a letter March 21
from Hornbeak’s attorney demanding an “outlandish amount of
money” and threatening a lawsuit.

Hornbeak wasn’t immediately available for comment.