Kelly Stafford has reacted after a misconduct investigation into her “The Morning After” podcast cohost Hank Winchester concluded with none expenses being filed.
“Investigation ended proper the place it began, nowhere,” Stafford, 36, wrote by way of Instagram on Friday, August 15.
Stafford warmly referred to Winchester, 51, as “my man” and hinted he could be returning to “The Morning After” subsequent week, teasing: “See y’all Monday.”
A search warrant was executed at Winchester’s Beverly Hills dwelling in June after he was accused of creating sexual advances throughout a therapeutic massage. Winchester was positioned on depart from his full-time job as a client reporter for Detroit’s WDIV Information whereas the investigation passed off.
Winchester, who had been learning therapeutic massage remedy, was additionally absent from a number of episodes of “The Morning After,” with Stafford merely telling listeners on a July 18 installment that her cohost was “coping with some private stuff.”
“The NFL season is simply across the nook,” she added. “Quickly you’ll be getting loads of us, I’m positive. It’s all rather a lot.”
A press release from the Oakland County Prosecutor’s workplace to the Detroit Free Press confirmed that the investigation concluded with no trigger to cost Winchester.
“After a radical investigation, which concerned a number of interviews in addition to searches of each the scene of the incident and digital units, the Beverly Hills Police Division introduced their findings to our workplace,” prosecutor David Williams mentioned. “On the details of this case, it was concluded there was no trigger to file any expenses in opposition to Mr. Winchester.”
Winchester’s legal professional Neil Rockind described the podcast host as a “sufferer of baseless and unfounded allegations” throughout a press convention in Detroit on Friday. The lawyer displayed copies of a voluntary polygraph examination that Winchester had reportedly handed.
“Hank Winchester has been exonerated and cleared,” Rockind insisted.
His fellow legal professional Todd Flood additionally advised reporters, “After having to endure over 9 weeks of an investigation, having his life turned the other way up from each aspect attainable, we obtained nice information yesterday from legislation enforcement that there was no legal findings and no warrants will probably be issued. He was put by means of the ringer over an allegation that didn’t even warrant the issuance of a cost.”
WDIV shared an announcement from the patron reporter that confirmed he could be returning to his “Assist Me Hank” segments . (Winchester has been a mainstay on the Detroit information station since 2001.).
“I’m grateful this investigation is over,” he mentioned. “The allegations made in opposition to me have been outrageous, unfounded and defamatory. All through my 24-year profession in Detroit, my mission has all the time been to assist the neighborhood I really like, defend you from unhealthy actors, and battle for justice. I’ll all the time battle for you — simply as I’ve just lately needed to battle for myself.”
Winchester’s assertion went on, “I wish to categorical my deepest gratitude to everybody who has proven me great assist, particularly my household and buddies. The messages from so lots of you helped me by means of this extremely tough time.”
Stafford turned buddies with Winchester when her husband Matthew Stafford was quarterback of the Detroit Lions from 2009 to 2020. The journalist and Kelly launched “The Morning After” podcast in 2021.
Should you or somebody you realize has been sexually assaulted, contact the Nationwide Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
