Ex-Bond actor denies drunken abuse

8:34pm Wednesday 27th August 2008

Former James Bond star George Lazenby has spoken out against allegations that he assaulted his first wife and was an abusive alcoholic.

The claims were made in papers filed to a Los Angeles court, where Lazenby is fighting for custody of his three children by former tennis star Pamela Shriver.

His first wife, Christina Master, from whom he separated in 1994, and their daughter Melanie Lazenby, 34, alleged he beat, threatened and tormented them.

It is the latest twist in the bitter divorce battle between Australian-born Lazenby, 68, and five-times Wimbledon doubles champion Shriver, 46, which got under way earlier this month.

Lazenby, who played Bond in 1969, denied the allegations. He said in a statement: "I wish Christina would show me a medical report, X-rays and pictures that show I broke her nose. I never punched her in my life."

He apologised to his daughter for not being attentive to her during his son Zack's illness but denied the allegation that he was drinking at the time.

"I did not have one drink while attending to Zack for eight years," he said. Zack died of cancer 14 years ago at the age of 19.

Lazenby claimed Ms Shriver had sought out Christina and Melanie in Paris during the French Open in May 2008 as she was "secretly preparing" to divorce him.

Lazenby and Shriver married in 2002. They had their first child, George Jr, in 2004 followed by twins Kate and Sam in 2005.

Shriver filed for divorce from Lazenby, citing "irreconcilable differences".

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