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Facebook Photo of Romney Leads Man to Assault Girlfriend

By Andrew Chow, Esq. on August 02, 2012 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Mitt Romney is not having an affair with Crystal Gray of Clinton, Tenn. But try telling that to Gray's live-in boyfriend, who punched her in the face after seeing Romney's pic on her Facebook page, a sheriff's report states.

Lowell Turpin, 40, also allegedly grabbed the couple's shared laptop and smashed it against a wall upon seeing the GOP presidential candidate's square-jawed face smiling back at him online. Turpin was arrested for domestic assault.

Suffice it to say Turpin doesn't really follow politics. But he does seem to have an alleged penchant for domestic violence, according to an arrest report obtained by The Smoking Gun website.

Before accusing his girlfriend of a Mitt Romney affair on Facebook, Turpin "had been demeaning and insulting throughout the day," the sheriff's report states.

Gray, Turpin's girlfriend, told deputies he'd attacked her "multiple times over several years," according to the report. One alleged incident was so bad, she had to seek refuge at a battered women's shelter.

Gray said she filed for a restraining order against Turpin, who stands 5-foot-8 and weighs 310 pounds, according to arrest records. But Gray didn't show up at a hearing about the restraining order request, and the order was never approved.

Then came the alleged July 22 attack, triggered by Mitt Romney's photo. Turpin "provided multiple, contradictory accounts" about what happened, but based on accounts by Gray and two witnesses, deputies threw Turpin behind bars.

Lowell Turpin faces a Class A misdemeanor charge for his alleged attack over a mistaken Mitt Romney affair on Facebook. Turpin is being held on $1,000 bond, The Smoking Gun reports.

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