Content advisory: The article about domestic violence below contains graphic language and topics.
Ashley Johnson, star of Critical Role, has requested a restraining order against her ex-boyfriend Brian W. Foster due to what she claims are several instances of domestic abuse and “acts of terror” against her and her family. ComicBook.com has looked into a number of court records, including a May 19th request for a temporary restraining order. Johnson claims in the request that on May 15, 2023, “the police issued a [Emergency Protective Order] due to [Foster] having attempted to extort $150,000 from me (television/film actress), his history of verbal abuse, his very unstable mental state caused by his addictive use of narcotics, and several other reasons.” Johnson claimed that on May 15th, when Foster was ejected from her house, she discovered a “garotte and several airsoft guns” in a suitcase that she believes he had been carrying ever since the two had broken up earlier this year.
Foster is accused of blocking Johnson’s access to the Internet on all of her devices and altering the passwords for her Ring cameras following what Johnson has described as a “huge fight” earlier this year, according to the restraining order request. The application claims a history of alleged domestic violence, characterising Johnson’s actions as include “broken glasses, broke gates, and slamming doors,” and branding her a “stupid, useless, f-cking bitch, f-cking c-nt.”
Johnson also mentions a post on Foster’s Instagram with the location “Robert Blake’s Garden,” which appears to be a reference to the late actor Robert Blake, who was judged responsible for the death of his second wife Bonny Lee Bakley. Johnson asserts that it was an effort to terrify Bakley in the filing, citing a personal connection to her.
Foster and Johnson, a well-known actress who has roles in The Avengers and The Last of Us, collaborated on Critical Role for a number of years, with Foster serving as the show’s host for a weekly Q&A segment and Johnson participating on weekly programmes. Foster also made appearances in a number of Critical Role spinoffs, although she left the series in August 2021 to “pursue other projects.” At the time, the breakup was said to be amicable, but Foster made it clear in a number of comments that he had not chosen to quit Critical Role. Although Foster’s hostility towards some Critical Role fandom members has drawn criticism, Foster appears to have gone on to other endeavours, such as an interview podcast and a Twitch channel.
Johnson’s request was granted, and the judge instructed Foster to keep 500 yards away from Johnson until a June court hearing.
