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Los Angeles - Nigella Lawson's husband claims pictures of him with his hands around her throat were the result of a "playful tiff".
Concerns were raised after art dealer Charles Saatchi was photographed taking his wife by the neck as they dined in London restaurant Scott's on 9 June, but he claims their argument - where he is also said to have verbally abused his spouse - was quickly resolved.
He told London's Evening Standard newspaper: "About a week ago, we were sitting outside a restaurant having an intense debate about the children, and I held Nigella's neck repeatedly while attempting to emphasise my point.
"There was no grip, it was a playful tiff. The pictures are horrific but give a far more drastic and violent impression of what took place. Nigella's tears were because we both hate arguing, not because she had been hurt.
"We had made up by the time we were home."
No allegations
Explaining why Nigella left the couple's home with a suitcase and 17-year-old son Bruno, from her first marriage, on Sunday Charles added: "The paparazzi were congregated outside our house after the story broke yesterday morning, so I told Nigella to take the kids off till the dust settled."
Charles - who also lives with Nigella's daughter Cosima and his daughter, Phoebe, from an earlier marriage - may face questioning by the police over the pictures, with a source saying officers are trying to ''establish the facts of the incident'.'
However, Nigella has not made any allegations against her husband and reportedly returned to Scott's with him on Saturday - the day before the photographs of him grabbing her neck were made public - where they dined peacefully.
See photos of the incident here.
Concerns were raised after art dealer Charles Saatchi was photographed taking his wife by the neck as they dined in London restaurant Scott's on 9 June, but he claims their argument - where he is also said to have verbally abused his spouse - was quickly resolved.
He told London's Evening Standard newspaper: "About a week ago, we were sitting outside a restaurant having an intense debate about the children, and I held Nigella's neck repeatedly while attempting to emphasise my point.
"There was no grip, it was a playful tiff. The pictures are horrific but give a far more drastic and violent impression of what took place. Nigella's tears were because we both hate arguing, not because she had been hurt.
"We had made up by the time we were home."
No allegations
Explaining why Nigella left the couple's home with a suitcase and 17-year-old son Bruno, from her first marriage, on Sunday Charles added: "The paparazzi were congregated outside our house after the story broke yesterday morning, so I told Nigella to take the kids off till the dust settled."
Charles - who also lives with Nigella's daughter Cosima and his daughter, Phoebe, from an earlier marriage - may face questioning by the police over the pictures, with a source saying officers are trying to ''establish the facts of the incident'.'
However, Nigella has not made any allegations against her husband and reportedly returned to Scott's with him on Saturday - the day before the photographs of him grabbing her neck were made public - where they dined peacefully.
See photos of the incident here.
