RICHMOND — The wife of state Sen. Joseph D. Morrissey (D-Richmond) alleges in divorce papers that he physically and emotionally abused her, had numerous affairs and fathered children with another woman during their marriage — charges that Morrissey says are “absolutely false.”
Virginia
In divorce filing, wife alleges abuse by Va. state Sen. Joseph Morrissey
Facing election this fall to retain his seat in the Senate, the scandal-plagued Morrissey has emphasized his children and family life as he battles with former delegate Lashrecse Aird (D-Petersburg) in a primary contest in a heavily Democratic district. The divorce and its allegations could be especially painful at a time when some fellow Democratic senators have already endorsed Aird, saying they’re concerned Morrissey might side with Republicans seeking to impose a 15-week ban on abortion.
Democrats are defending a razor-thin majority in the Senate; Morrissey has signaled a willingness to consider abortion restrictions, including serving as co-patron of a 2022 bill that would have set a ban after 20 weeks.
Morrissey and his wife have been separated for some time, though at least one of his campaign billboards depicts them together with their children.
“I love her very much,” he said in a brief interview. “It breaks my heart that she would make these absolutely false allegations.”
Morrissey, 65, was a state delegate in 2013 when he was arrested and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor for allegedly having sex with Myrna Pride, who was 17 and had been working in his law office.
Morrissey entered an Alford plea, meaning he acknowledged the evidence against him without admitting guilt, and served 90 days in jail. A wildly polarizing defense lawyer who markets himself as “a fighter for the people,” Morrissey was reelected while incarcerated.
He and Pride married and had three children together. Myrna Morrissey claims in court papers that every time their marriage hit problems, Joseph Morrissey pressured her to keep up appearances because “he desired to portray their ‘family’ life to help him overcome the stigma created by their illicit relationship.”
Her divorce complaint — which was first reported by Axios — charges that he began requesting “explicit photos” from her two weeks into her stint at his law office and began having sex with her a week after that. She alleges that she hid the nature of the relationship from her parents to protect him and that Morrissey instructed her to destroy records on her phone.
She says that when she became pregnant in 2014 at age 18, Morrissey sent her to live in Georgia to conceal the pregnancy while he faced criminal charges. They moved in together in 2015 and married the next year. Myrna Morrissey claims she began seeing evidence that he was asking other women for “naked photos” soon after they set up housekeeping and that the incidents continued, though Joseph Morrissey denied it when confronted.
She alleges that he had numerous affairs, including with a deputy sheriff, babysitters and one woman with whom he fathered twins. She also claims a pattern of abuse, such as calling her belittling names such as “b—-” and “ghetto rat,” and says he elbowed her in the stomach when she was pregnant with their third child, and once grabbed her by the throat and slapped her repeatedly.
Joseph Morrissey has said that his separation from Myrna is painful but that they have united in caring for their children. Earlier this year, he called police to charge that her boyfriend had beaten their son. A judge later found no evidence of a crime and rescinded a protective order against Myrna Morrissey.
Joseph Morrissey speculated Wednesday that the incident had provoked her allegations in the divorce filing.
“I don’t know why she’s doing it other than she’s fulfilling her promise that she would … ruin my life,” Morrissey said. The claims “are absolutely false.”
Their relationship was far from his first brush with scandal: He faced numerous charges of misconduct in an earlier career as a prosecutor and defense lawyer (including punching another lawyer in court) and has been disbarred twice.
By 2019, though, Virginia Democrats gave him grudging support as he sought a seat in the state Senate that would help the party win a majority. Former governor Terry McAuliffe hosted a fundraiser at Morrissey’s house, with Myrna Morrissey playing a prominent role. The night that fall that he won the election, she claims in her court filing, Myrna Morrissey asked her husband for a divorce and they have been apart ever since.
In 2021, Gov. Ralph Northam (D) pardoned Morrissey in one of his last official acts as governor. Morrissey has said he is working to get his law license restored.