Zach Smith did several interviews on Friday, shortly after Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer released a statement, saying he was aware of the domestic violence allegations in 2015 and reported them like he was supposed to. Smith said in interviews on Friday that Meyer told him he would be fired “immediately” if he found out that he hit his wife, Courtney Smith. The now-fired Ohio State wide receivers coach claimed in his first public interview since the firing that he never committed domestic violence. “I’ve never committed domestic abuse against her,” Smith told 105.7 The Zone in Columbus. Smith added that their relationship was volatile. “I’ve been purposely quiet since this is all started, because I don’t believe this is the right venue to talk about it. I, by no means, want to come out and throw dirt on Courtney at all. All I can really say is we had a volatile relationship. It was toxic. And by the end of it, it just flat out needed to end.” Shortly after Smith’s interview, college football insider Brett McMurphy dropped this text message from Smith’s ex-wife, which seems to go against what he said. Zach Smith told @1057TheZone he never abused Courtney. Here is text message b/w Zach & Courtney when he admits & apologizes for strangling his wife on Punta Cana trip in March 2015 & again in April pic.twitter.com/GjcjWh6mFT — Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) August 3, 2018 Smith has responded to the claims in this message, speaking to ESPN college football reporter Dan Murphy. “Asked Zach Smith about this just now,” Murphy tweeted. “He said he does not recall any altercation between him and Courtney Smith in Punta Cana. He said he had not seen the published image of the text but did not believe it was credible.” Asked Zach Smith about this just now. He said he does not recall any altercation between him and Courtney Smith in Punta Cana. He said he had not seen the published image of the text but did not believe it was credible. https://t.co/re4cdsUpYO — Dan Murphy (@DanMurphyESPN) August 4, 2018 Smith and his ex-wife are set to appear in court in early September. Urban Meyer remains on paid administrative leave at Ohio State.<doc-sep>Courtney Smith, the ex-wife of former Ohio State wide receivers coach Zach Smith, was one of the first people those following the ongoing saga surrounding the former couple and Ohio State heard from. She first spoke with Stadium on Aug. 1, talking publicly about the domestic violence she alleges against her ex-husband. On Monday night, Courtney's attorney, Julia Leveridge, released a statement through college football writer Brett McMurphy, who originally broke this story. The statement says that Courtney plans to cooperate with the ongoing investigation by Ohio State, clears up "misinformation" that has been reported and states that Courtney will not speak on the matter further until things are resolved. Here is the statement: “Courtney Smith is currently involved in two legal matters, criminal trespass involving her ex-husband Zach Smith, and a domestic violence civil protection order she has obtained to ensure her ongoing safety. Ms. Smith will have no further comments until these matters have been resolved. Her focus remains on caring for her two small children and continuing her nursing studies. “As her attorney, I can tell you that Ms. Smith is cautiously optimistic that The Ohio State University’s investigative committee will determine if proper reporting protocol was followed upon learning of the ongoing, abuse allegations against Zach Smith. We believe the University must prioritize the safety and well-being of others above all else. While The Ohio State University has never contacted Ms. Smith to discuss these allegations, she will fully cooperate with the university’s current investigation. “We would like to set the record straight in terms of the misinformation that has been circulating. • Ms. Smith has received absolutely no compensation for any interview she has granted to reporters. • Ms. Smith is a victim of domestic violence. She has made concerted efforts to press charges of domestic abuse against her ex-husband. • Ms. Smith has never been charged with an OVI or any other criminal offense. “The cycle of abuse is complicated. Breaking free from years of violence takes tremendous courage and support. Blaming the victim only contributes to the stigma that is already present in our society today. It should be unacceptable. “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four women will be the victims of severe violence by an intimate partner in their lifetimes. Cases such as this can be difficult to fully understand by those on the outside, who too often, shamefully cast judgment. Ms. Smith is grateful to those who have shown her the support she deserves during this challenging time. Again, we will have no further comment until the pending litigation is resolved.” What's next for the Buckeyes? Make sure you're in the loop -- take five seconds to sign up for our FREE Buckeyes newsletter now! Want the latest scoops and news on the Buckeyes? Try our 7-DAY FREE TRIAL AND BECOME A BUCKNUTS SUBSCRIBER! Zach spoke with 105.7 The Zone on Friday, as well as doing an interview with ESPN, and stated that Ohio State knew of the 2015 accusations but denied ever committing domestic abuses against Courtney.<doc-sep>Wednesday morning, former ESPN reporter Brett McMurphy dropped a report on Facebook which alleges that Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer lied when he told reporters last week that he did not have knowledge of a 2015 allegation of domestic violence against wide receivers coach Zach Smith. Now, Stadium, which will employ McMurphy once his ESPN contract runs up, has dropped an exclusive on-camera interview with Smith’s ex-wife Courtney. Here’s what Courtney Smith had to say about what Urban Meyer’s wife Shelley knew – and what Meyer himself might have known. “I was scared. I did tell my parents. I told his parents as well. I remember specifically texting pictures to my mom, my dad, his dad, like begging for help, like this has to stop. This isn’t normal. I can’t do this anymore. I was told “don’t call the police. “If you call the police, he’s going to get arrested, it’s going to go to the media, he’s going to lose his job. What are you and the kids going to do?” And anyone who’s been abused, you really do think you can change them. You think “well if I do something different, he’ll change.” It’s not the case, they don’t change.” Smith said that until 2015, none of the coaches’ wives knew about the physical abuse. She says she told them all in 2015. “At that time they did not. In 2015, I came forward with it. I told Shelley. I sent her some pictures. I spoke to her on the phone. That was because at that point, we were legally separated. Enough is enough. If I leave the marriage, I’m hoping this is going to stop. This has to stop. Shelley said she was going to have to tell Urban, she was going to have to tell Urban. I said “that’s fine. You should tell Urban. We can’t have somebody like this coaching young men.” Smith says she never got confirmation that Shelley told Urban. “She would reach out to me, ask me how I’m doing. Tell me she was worried. If I needed anything, she was there. …when somebody is crying out for help, I believe the coach, along with the coach’s wife, they have a duty – they have a duty – to do something to help. Instead of worrying about winning games or instead of worrying about who his mentor and who his family is and trying to protect that, somebody’s safety and the safety of their children and the environment they’re in needs to be more important.” Here’s video as well: EXCLUSIVE: Longtime Urban Meyer assistant Zach Smith's ex-wife, Courtney Smith, opens up about reported domestic violence and what she believes Meyer knew. pic.twitter.com/dNWA9x2F4y — Stadium (@WatchStadium) August 1, 2018 Neither the Meyer family nor Ohio State has yet to issue any kind of response to the reporting. We’ll keep you updated.<doc-sep>COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Police reports obtained by cleveland.com detail a tumultuous three years of domestic incidents between former Ohio State receivers coach Zach Smith and his ex-wife, Courtney Smith. Nine reports obtained from Powell police involving Zach Smith and/or Courtney Smith between the dates of January 1, 2012 and July 26, 2018 involve domestic disputes between the Smiths, who divorced in 2016. That includes an alleged incident of domestic abuse on Oct. 25, 2015. In that report, which was previously revealed last week, Courtney Smith claimed to be the victim of sustained physical abuse at the hands of her ex-husband. In a report on Wednesday, Courtney Smith told Brett McMurphy that her ex-husband "shoved me up against the wall, with his hands around my neck." Those details are not included in the report from Powell police, and no charges were filed form the incident. Courtney Smith field for an order of protection against her ex-husband on July 20 in Delaware, Ohio. Zach Smith, who was fired by Ohio State on July 23, has never been charged with a domestic violence crime. Smith's social media account on Twitter was recently changed to remove his Ohio State bio and features only the hashtag #NotMe. That slogan was adopted by music entrepreneur and businessman Russell Simmons in December of 2017 after he was accused of sexual assault. He abandoned the hashtag a month later. Smith is facing a charge of criminal trespass after driving into Courtney Smith's driveway during a child custody exchange on May 12, 2018. Zach Smith had previously been warned that driving onto his ex-wife's property could result in such a charge, which was detailed in the additional reports obtained by cleveland.com. The nine reports handled by Powell police that mention domestic issues show that Courtney Smith was repeatedly talking about the problems with her husband. The reports include: * A handful of child custody disputes. * A indicates Courtney informed police that she felt she was being followed by someone in a black SUV, and shared she was having issues "with her soon to be ex-husband." That was the first mention of domestic issues found in the reports obtained by cleveland.com. * Another details Courtney Smith telling Powell police she wished to file a restraining order against her husband. * There's in which Courtney Smith was given a speeding warning. Smith shared that she was having domestic issues with her ex-husband that day, and that the City of Powell was aware of it. The report adds that she was crying and visibly upset. * An incident on December 17, 2017 when Courtney reported neighbors seeing Zach looking through the windows of her home, the windows of her vehicle and banging on the door of her home at 1:30 a.m. No charges were filed from that incident, but Zach Smith was issued a trespass warning. In his report on Wednesday, McMurphy alleges that Meyer knew of the 2015 incident after previously denying any knowledge of it at Big Ten media days. Meyer fired Zach Smith on July 23, saying he was aware of a domestic abuse allegation against Smith in Florida in 2009, but adding that 2015 allegations against Smith had nothing to do with the decision. Courtney Smith decided to go public with her side of the story on Wednesday, both in McMurphy's report and in a video interview with Stadium. In that interview with Stadium, Courtney Smith reveals that she informed her family and Zach Smith's family of his alleged abuse, and was advised to not to involve the police. Courtney Smith also said that she sent pictures and details to Urban Meyer's wife, Shelley, after the alleged 2015 incident. She added that Zach Smith's alleged abuse was known by the wives of all of Ohio State's assistant coaches. Meyer said he had his staff look into those 2015 allegations last week, when he claimed to first hear about them, and that "there's nothing ... I don't know who creates a story like that." Everyone, including Meyer, now knows the story wasn't created. And Courtney Smith was telling her story long before Wednesday.<doc-sep>
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The attorney for Courtney Smith, the ex-wife of former Ohio State assistant coach Zach Smith, said in a statement that her client will cooperate with the university's investigation into how Urban Meyer handled domestic abuse allegations against Zach Smith in 2015. Julia Leveridge, the attorney for Courtney Smith, released this statement to Brett McMurphy and other reporters: "Courtney Smith is currently involved in two legal matters, criminal trespass involving her ex-husband Zach Smith, and a domestic violence civil protection order she has obtained to ensure her ongoing safety. Ms. Smith will have no further comments until these matters have been resolved. Her focus remains on caring for her two small children and continuing her nursing studies. As her attorney, I can tell you that Ms. Smith is cautiously optimistic that The Ohio State University's investigative committee will determine if proper reporting protocol was followed upon learning of the ongoing abuse allegations against Zach Smith. We believe the University must prioritize the safety and well-being of others above all else. While The Ohio State University has never contacted Ms. Smith to discuss these allegations, she will fully cooperate with the university's current investigation. We would like to set the record straight in terms of the misinformation that has been circulating. * Ms. Smith has received absolutely no compensation for any interview she has granted to reporters. * Ms. Smith is a victim of domestic violence. She has made concerted efforts to press charges of domestic abuse against her ex-husband. * Ms. Smith has never been charged with an OVI or any other criminal offense. The cycle of abuse is complicated. Breaking free from years of violence takes tremendous courage and support. Blaming the victim only contributes to the stigma that is already present in our society today. It should be unacceptable. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four women will be the victims of severe violence by an intimate partner in their lifetimes. Cases such as this can be difficult to fully understand by those on the outside, who too often, shamefully cast judgment. Ms. Smith is grateful to those who have shown her the support she deserves during this challenging time. Again, we will have no further comment until the pending litigation is resolved." Zach Smith was fired on July 23 after Courtney Smith filed for an order of protection against him in Delaware, Ohio on July 20. McMurphy reported on July 23 that Zach Smith had been arrested, but not charged, in an alleged domestic abuse incident in Florida in 2009 and that Courtney Smith called Powell, Ohio police about a domestic abuse incident in 2015 and said she had been the victim of sustained physical abuse. Zach Smith has never been charged with a domestic violence crime. He is facing a misdemeanor charge of criminal trespass from a child custody exchange with his ex-wife back in May. Last Wednesday the university announced an investigation into what Meyer, who hired Smith at Florida in 2005 and again at Ohio State in 2012, knew about those allegations and how he handled them. Meyer said in a statement last Friday that he's always followed proper protocol in reporting incidents involving student-athletes, coaches and staff members. Ohio State announced on Sunday night that it expects its investigation to be completed within 14 days.