A restaurateur who refused to play the Olympics at his Ohio eateries after claiming the opening ceremony “Last Supper” drag controversy mocked Christians has been arrested for attempted murder, rape, kidnapping and more.
Businessman Bobby George, 43, is accused of a horrific pattern of abuse against a woman he lived with — including mocking her for praying to God that she wouldn’t die during one of multiple alleged attacks while the pair resided under the same roof.
“You think God is going to help you?” he reportedly taunted the 25-year-old victim as he allegedly shoved a towel down her throat and strangled her, according to police records obtained by Cleveland.com.
George, of Lakewood, Ohio, turned himself in to authorities after police issued a warrant Friday for his arrest on charges of attempted murder, rape, felony assault, four counts of kidnapping and two counts of strangulation, according to the local publication.
He appeared in Cleveland Municipal Court Tuesday and was released after posting a $200,000 bond — but must not contact the victim he’s accused of attacking multiple times from September 2023 up until last month per the order of protection the judge granted.
The victim “fears for her life” after the repeated attacks, a Cleveland police detective wrote in court documents cited by the local outlet.
In the first attack noted by police, George — who owns Cleveland restaurants TownHall and the Barley House — allegedly threw the woman into a kitchen cabinet, causing the glass of the cabinet to shatter.
The next month, police say he pinned her to the ground, choked her so that she couldn’t breathe and slammed her head into a table repeatedly. She reportedly suffered blurred vision and a ringing in her ears which were left bloodied, according to the court docs.
“The defendant then had victim treated by his business’(s) nurse-practitioner who diagnosed her with post-concussion syndrome,” the Cleveland police Domestic Violence Unit wrote in the arrest warrant, according to Cleveland.com.
In another alleged assault, George is accused of shoving a gun to the woman’s stomach after she tried to flee their residence in her car and forced her back inside, the arrest warrant states.
The rape charge comes from yet another attack when he allegedly pushed her to the ground and held her down while he raped her after she got out of the shower, according to the warrant.
Then in June came the prayer-mocking incident.
The victim hid in a closet as she prayed for her life only to be pulled out by the restauranteur who shoved a cloth into her throat, spit at her, bit her nose, choked her and pushed her around the home while refusing to let her leave, police alleged in the docs.
“Defendant pulled her hair, strangled her and threw her all over the house,” the Cleveland police detective wrote.
George reportedly apologized after admitting to some of the accusations against him and told the victim that he loves her in an audio recording, according to the court documents.
His attorney, Kevin Spellacy, told Cleveland.com that the charges shouldn’t have ever been brought against his client and implied that he was targeted for his well-known name in the community. He denied the allegations against George.
The Cleveland law director said the case was thoroughly investigated and handled no differently than other cases.
“It’s imperative for the public to know that this case was treated according to standard protocols like any other case — regardless of the defendant’s name, title, or occupation. The investigation remains ongoing,” law director Mark Griffin said in a statement to WKYC.
The local NBC affiliate station reported earlier this month that George refused to show the Paris Olympic games on TVs inside his businesses over the reported depiction of the “Last Supper” during the event’s opening ceremony.
“The portrayal of ‘The Last Supper’ was handled with an irresponsible level of irreverence, insulting the Christian faith,” signs at the restaurants said, according to the station.
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233) or text START to 88788.
