CMT News

Editor's note: More information on the Sara Evans story is included in the new episode of CMT Insider debuting Saturday (Oct. 14) at 2 p.m. ET/PT.

A judge in Franklin, Tenn., has signed a temporary restraining order against Sara Evans' husband, Craig Schelske, after the singer filed for divorce Thursday (Oct. 12). In a written statement announcing the divorce and her withdrawal from the nationally-televised Dancing With the Stars competition, Evans' publicist said, "Recent events that shed light on the status of her marriage prompted Ms. Evans to make the filing."

Those events are graphically detailed in the legal documents filed by John J. Hollins and John J. Hollins Jr., the Nashville attorneys representing Evans, who is seeking the divorce on grounds of irreconcilable differences, inappropriate marital conduct and adultery.

In addition to accusing Schelske of adultery, Evans alleges he "frequently watches pornography" and maintains pornographic photos on his computers. According to the complaint, "There are at least 100 photographs of husband posing with his erect penis. There are several photographs showing the defendant having sex with other women."

The complaint also includes a nine-page exhibit of postings temporarily stored on Schelske's computer from the "casual encounters" section of craigslist.com, an online advertising Web site. Evans' attorneys allege, "On his computers, husband maintains 'Craigs Lists.' Many of them involve requests for three-party sex and anal sex."

According to the complaint, "Specifically on Sept. 28, 2006, the parties' minor child ... confronted husband at the parties' residence in Franklin, Tenn., when he was watching pornographic material on the television at that residence. Also, specifically, on Sept. 17, 2006, husband screamed at wife at the parties' temporary home in Los Angeles ... and told her that she should not let a costume designer for the show Dancing With the Stars in the parties' home. Husband referred to the costume designer for the show Dancing With the Stars as a 'sodomite' and told her how awful it was to have the children at home when the costume designer was present. On Sept. 18, 2006, husband told wife that the parties' child ... broke out in hives because he saw the costume designer who is a 'sodomite.'"

Evans, 35, and Schelske, 43, married in 1993 and have three children -- current ages 2, 3 and 7. Schelske was unsuccessful in his 2002 campaign in Oregon as a Republican candidate for Congress.

The temporary restraining order prohibits Schelske from "threatening, physically abusing, verbally abusing, emotionally abusing and harassing" Evans and "from taking their minor children to Oregon and from interfering with your wife's temporary custody and parenting time with the minor children." The restraining order signed by Chancery Court Judge Timothy Easter also prohibits Schelske "from exposing your minor children to pornographic materials of any kind."

In the divorce suit, Evans claims Schelske frequently verbally abused her and told her she was crazy.

According to her publicist, Evans withdrew from the ABC television show, Dancing With the Stars, to give full attention to her children after filing for divorce. She and dance partner Tony Donolavi were scheduled to move to the sixth round of the competition during Tuesday's (Oct. 17) telecast. Instead, Evans is now scheduled to be featured in a taped interview to air during the program.