The family of a man accused of beating his girlfriend brutally last month reportedly announced they plan to file a lawsuit against her for sharing photos of the alleged incident.
According to DailyMail, the family of 25-year-old Erick Bretz announced they plan to sue 22-year-old University of Florida student, Melissa Gentz, who posted numerous photos of herself on Instagram after she claimed her former boyfriend, Bretz, beat her. Bretz’s family reportedly claimed he did nothing wrong and was defending himself against Gentz.
The photos, however, tell a different story.
Gentz is a model from Brazil who moved to Florida to attend school at the University of South Florida. Bretz, also from Brazil, is a motocross champ who has been participating in the Brazilian Motocross Championship circuit since he was a teen. He’s reportedly the son of a man who owns one of Brazil’s biggest grocery store chains.
According to the police report, Gentz admitted that she pushed and tried to hit Bretz during an argument, but he retaliated by allegedly throwing her to the floor and kicking her in the face. The argument apparently began over Gentz’s choice of clothing. She posted a photo of herself in a black spaghetti strap top on Instagram, which she said angered Bretz. She reportedly said he was also upset that she drank alcohol and took a sleeping pill for insomnia.
The couple had only been dating three months when the alleged attack occurred, according to FOX News.
The fight escalated when Bretz reportedly pulled out “chunks” of Gentz’s hair, threw her across the room and hit her in the face with a bottle. He’s also accused of strangling her with his legs.
Gentz told police she managed to get free and run to the bathroom, but the suspect kicked down the bathroom door and trapped her inside. Ultimately, she escaped when he was caught off guard and fled to the lobby, where the doorman called 911 for her.
The incident gained little attention until Gentz made the decision to show the public of the aftermath of the alleged beating.
“I won’t hide the marks of my story because NO woman should feel ashamed of feel blamed for being a victim of domestic violence,” she stated on Instagram.
“He grabbed me by my hair and said that I needed to accept my reality because I was the woman of the relationship…A man who treats you like that does not respect you and does not see you as a human being. He will not change.”
Bretz walked out of jail after posting $60,000 bail last month. He surrendered his passport to Hillsborough County authorities and acknowledged he was banned from the USF campus and from from having any contact with Bretz.
The suspect pleaded not guilty, but Gentz, in an effort to spread awareness regarding domestic abuse, released audio from her cellphone, which reportedly depicted Bretz yelling at her and belittling her.
“Why are you so dumb? Stop being stupid, see . You have no more notion of p … none. I already told you, see. Stop being dumb! You do not accept the man who has more dominance than you. You do not accept, you think you’re the man of the relationship. But you’re not, you’re a woman, you see , you have to accept that!”
Meanwhile, Gentz said while she continues to heal from emotional and mental scars, she is back in school, hoping to complete her biology degree by the end of the year.
[Feature Photo: Melissa Gentz/Instagram; Eric Bretz/Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office]
