Ex-fiancee of GOP recall candidate Larry Elder says he waved gun at her

The former fiancée of conservative California gubernatorial recall candidate Larry Elder said in an interview published Thursday that he waved a gun at her while high on marijuana.

In an interview with Politico, Elder’s former fiancée Alexandra Datig said she broke off their 18-month engagement after he waved a .45 pistol at her in 2015 while high on marijuana. Datig is perhaps most well-known for being the lead witness and informant in the case against Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss.

Datig, 51, told Politico that the incident occurred while they were in the midst of a heated argument around the time their relationship was falling apart.

After she became silent in the argument, Elder allegedly “walked over to the nightstand, opened the door, took out the gun,” Datig said.

“And he checked if it was loaded — while I was talking,’’ she added. “He wanted to make sure I saw that he had it.”

Datig said she momentarily thought she would be in a “Phil Spector moment” referring to the deceased record producer who was convicted of killing actress Lana Clarkson in 2003.

“He was threatening to throw me out on the street … and rather than answer back or throw something, I tried to use every tool I had in recovery … I just walked out,’’ Datig said. “I locked myself into the bedroom downstairs.’’

“I was raised that you never use a gun in anger, and you don’t use it when you’re drunk or you’re high to make a point in frustration — which is what he did,’’ said Datig, describing herself as a strong Second Amendment supporter.

The Hill has reached out to representatives for Elder for comment.

According to Datig, she and Elder first met at the Playboy mansion in the early 2000s, though they did not begin seeing each other until much later. When they began dating, he allegedly pressured her into signing a nondisclosure agreement.

Politico noted that Elder’s attitude toward women has become a significant issue for his campaign, with adversaries pointing to a column he wrote two decades ago in which he said, “Women know less than men about political issues, economics, and current events.”

On Twitter, Elder denied the accusations from Datig, calling them “salacious allegations.”

“I have never brandished a gun at anyone. I grew up in South Central; I know exactly how destructive this type of behavior is. It’s not me, and everyone who knows me knows it’s not me,” Elder wrote. “People do not get into public life precisely because of this type of politics of personal destruction. I am not going to dignify this with a response—it’s beneath me.”

People do not get into public life precisely because of this type of politics of personal destruction. I am not going to dignify this with a response—it’s beneath me. (2/3)

— Larry Elder (@larryelder) August 19, 2021

“While my opponents and the Newsom campaign would love to keep voters distracted, I am going to stay focused on the issues that inspired 1.7 million Californians to petition for this recall,” he added.

The Sacramento Bee reported that recent polls have shown Elder, a self-described libertarian, to be the leading candidate to replace California Gov. Gavin Newsom. The Bee notes that Elder is well known for opposing an increase in the minimum wage, Black Lives Matter and for frequently making anti-LGBT remarks.