Mario Declares Love For Mother He's Accused Of Assaulting

The Let Me Love You hitmaker was taken into custody and charged with second degree assault on Friday (01Oct10) after his mum, Shawntia Hardaway, told cops he had been damaging property at their home in Baltimore, Maryland and had reportedly shoved her with his hands.

Hardaway, a former heroin addict, also claimed Mario had been violent towards her just days before his arrest. A police report detailing the prior incident suggests Mario pushed his mum "eight feet into a living room wall, where Ms. Hardaway hit her head on the wall".

Mario was released on $50,000 (£33,330) bail and his lawyer, William 'Hassan' Murphy III has admitted the arrest occurred after "an unfortunate incident" between a son and his mum, who has struggled to stay sober.

Now Mario himself has spoken out to address the claims, telling UsMagazine.com: "I love my mother very much... I will continue to support her any way that I can."