Director Shane Carruth Arrested On Domestic Violence Allegations

Indie director Shane Carruth was arrested last week at his ex-girlfriend’s home in Santa Monica, California on allegations of domestic violence. Carruth is known for his experimental science fiction films Primer and Upstream Color.

Police were first called to his ex’s home around 5 a.m. on Thursday, but Carruth had left by then. The ex-girlfriend – who remains anonymous in the report – described the incident to authorities. She then called back again around 6:50 a.m. saying Carruth had returned.

Carruth was found near the house when police returned, and he was arrested for potential domestic violence and vandalism. According to a booking report, he spent the weekend in jail before being released on a $50,000 bond Monday afternoon. His case has been referred to the Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office, which means it will be tried as a misdemeanor.

The director has previously been accused of domestic and emotional abuse by Amy Seimetz, an actor and director who dated Carruth from 2011 to 2018. Seimetz obtained a permanent restraining order against Carruth in 2020, telling a judge that he sent her threatening text messages after she left him.