Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels, said Tuesday that he has decided against running for president in 2020.
The announcement comes after a series of setbacks for the lawyer, including an arrest for a domestic violence accusation, some controversial comments he made about race and public criticism from Daniels, who is seeking to invalidate a 2016 nondisclosure agreement regarding an affair she allegedly had with President Donald Trump in 2006.
However, Avenatti cited his family’s objections to him running as the sole reason for his decision.
“But for their concerns, I would run,” he said.
Avenatti noted that he will continued to represent Daniels in her case against Trump. Daniels tweeted Sunday that she and her lawyer had mended their rift and planned to continue to “kick ass together.” The Daily Beast had reported days earlier that she was accusing Avenatti of suing Trump for defamation even though she had urged him against doing so. She told the publication she wasn’t sure if she would keep him as her attorney.
Daniels had also said she would drop Avenatti if the domestic violence charges against him were found to be true. But last week, the Los Angeles district attorney declined to prosecute him on felony domestic abuse charges and referred allegations that Avenatti had dragged his girlfriend by her arm to the city attorney for a possible misdemeanor case.
Avenatti also came under fire for a quote published in a Time profile about him last month.
“I think it better be a white male,” he said of the Democratic Party’s 2020 nominee.
“When you have a white male making the arguments, they carry more weight,” he said. “Should they carry more weight? Absolutely not. But do they? Yes.”
He later denied having said that, calling the quote “complete bullshit.”
Avenatti first hinted at a presidential run in October, saying at the time that he was “seriously considering it.”