Left-Wing Radio Host Arrested For Allegedly Assaulting Fiancée

On Apr 8, 2026

Longtime sports radio personality Mike Missanelli was arrested early Wednesday morning by the Lower Merion Police Department following a domestic dispute at his home in the Wynnewood section of Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania.

Missanelli, 70, faces one misdemeanor count of simple assault and one summary offense of harassment.

According to a report from NBC Philadelphia, police responded to the residence around 12:10 a.m. local time in response to a 911 hangup call. Details from the criminal complaint describe an argument between Missanelli and his fiancée that escalated into a physical altercation.

Missanelli reportedly told responding officers that the couple had gotten into a “scuffle” during a heated discussion about their engagement. He claimed his fiancée struck him in the chest, though police noted no visible injuries on him.

The fiancée, however, told investigators that Missanelli “open hand slapped her” on the left side of her face and head. Officers observed a laceration on the left side of her head with fresh blood, along with swelling around her ear.

Missanelli was arrested at the scene. He was released later that morning after a preliminary arraignment before Magisterial District Judge John I. McMahon Jr., with unsecured bail set at $10,000. A no-contact order was issued prohibiting any communication with the victim.

His preliminary hearing is currently scheduled for April 22 before Magisterial District Judge Karen Eisner Zucker in Montgomery County, according to a report from Philly Voice.

In response to the charges, Missanelli’s current media outlet, the Fideri News Network (parent company of the OnPattison podcast network), issued a statement through Chief of Staff and spokesperson Olivia DeMarco.

“The Fideri News Network, corporate parent of On Pattison, became aware of the charges against Mike Missanelli this afternoon through media reports. In light of the nature of the allegations, Mike will not be a part of the On Pattison Podcast during the legal process,” DeMarco said. “Fideri News understands the serious nature of these allegations and condemns all acts of domestic violence. We will continue to monitor the situation.”

Mike Missanelli has a long history of being a diva in the Philadelphia sports radio scene, as well as a long history of assault.

– He was fired from 610 WIP in 2006 after an altercation with an on-site producer in which it was alleged that he hit the producer.

– In May 2020,… https://t.co/0k09eN3k4Q pic.twitter.com/9USHdE0bnq

— Northeast Philly Degenerate (@NeDegenerate) April 8, 2026

Missanelli is widely known in the Philadelphia area due to his decades-long career in sports media. He began as a sports journalist and columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer before transitioning to radio. He worked at 610 WIP (now SportsRadio 94 WIP), where he hosted sports talk shows, though he was fired in 2006 following an on-air altercation with a producer.

He joined 97.5 The Fanatic in 2010, becoming a prominent voice in the midday and afternoon slots. His show frequently topped local ratings and was simulcast on NBC Sports Philadelphia.

Missannelli has also co-hosted national radio with Stephen A. Smith on ESPN New York, appeared as a TV panelist on postgame shows and contributed to other media outlets.

The longtime host frequently blends left-wing political commentary with sports talk. Throughout the Trump era, his social media and on-air presence became heavily critical of the former president and his supporters.

He has described Trump as a “misogynist pig who abuses women” and uses terms like “MAGA” derisively in a number of social media posts. “I’m an Independent who abhors a racist slime like Trump and am repulsed by supporters of his despicable ass. Because if you support Trump, you enable racism. G’nite,” reads one post from January 2024.

No public statements from Missanelli or his defense attorney have been released as of this report.