Weston Coppola Cage, the grownup son of actors Nicolas Cage and Christina Fulton, was granted a two-year psychological well being diversion program Wednesday to resolve two felony assault expenses alleging he “snapped” and violently attacked his mom and a pal exterior at his condo complicated final 12 months.
“Mr. Cage does endure from an eligible psychological well being dysfunction. I’m glad it was a big issue within the fee of the charged offenses,” Los Angeles County Decide Enrique Monguia mentioned at a morning listening to. “It’s apparent he was struggling a breakdown on the time.”
Weston’s lawyer requested for the diversion after saying his shopper had obtained intensive inpatient and outpatient remedy following the incident on April 28, 2024. The lawyer mentioned Weston had modified medical doctors and had solely simply began a brand new treatment on the time of the alleged assaults. He mentioned his shopper has been sober since his arrest within the felony case.
“He hasn’t felt this good in years. He’s in a very good head area, about to get married. He moved away from the situation residing in earlier than and is unquestionably making progress,” lawyer Michael A. Goldstein mentioned. The decide mentioned if Weston follows his remedy plan and medical doctors’ orders for the subsequent two years, and “stays out of hassle,” the case may very well be dismissed in April 2027.
Weston’s mom, Christina Fulton, attended the listening to and mentioned she supported diversion over jail. However she requested the decide to require one other couple months of inpatient remedy and urged two services in Tennessee and Connecticut. She then recounted the alleged assault in graphic element, telling the decide it practically killed her.
“Nothing ready me for April twenty eighth, 2024, the night time my son nearly took my life,” Fulton advised the courtroom. She recalled being at a dinner when she obtained a name saying Weston was “setting his condo on hearth.” Fulton mentioned she rushed to her son’s constructing, the place he allegedly greeted her in an offended and manic state. She mentioned he was “livid,” wouldn’t settle for the cheeseburger she delivered to him and “snapped” when a automobile pulled up and rattled a gate. She mentioned he grabbed her by her hair, shoved her to the ground of an elevator and bought on prime of her, “crushing” and “suffocating” her together with his physique weight.
“He shoved his thumb in my eye socket. The ache was excruciating. My imaginative and prescient went black,” she mentioned. “I used to be dropping consciousness.” Fulton mentioned that when the elevator opened, Weston then attacked his finest pal, the opposite alleged sufferer within the felony case. Fulton mentioned Weston returned to her, slammed her right into a wall, stood on her neck at one level and was strangling her because the pal tried to drag Weston away.
“If it wasn’t for [the friend] who risked his life to avoid wasting me, my household would have buried me, and Weston would have gone to jail,” she advised the courtroom. She repeatedly expressed love for her son however mentioned she stays fearful as a result of he hasn’t expressed any “regret or accountability” towards her. Weston seemed straight forward, not responding to her phrases.
“I’ve been demonized for being a very good mom,” Fulton mentioned. “Now I stand right here, pleading for one factor: that he will get the assistance he deserves. Please assist my son.”
The decide ended the listening to by ordering the psychological well being diversion and saying Weston is prohibited from harassing his alleged victims and possessing any weapons for the subsequent two years. A progress report listening to was set for July.
Weston appeared in courtroom, out of custody, after posting a $150,000 bond. In a associated lawsuit filed in February, Fulton sued Nicolas Cage for negligence, claiming he enabled their son’s “reckless” conduct by bailing him out of jail, supporting him financially with out requiring remedy and consuming alcohol with him “regardless of realizing his substance abuse points and historical past of violent outbursts.”
“The allegations by Christina Fulton in opposition to Nicolas Cage are absurd and frivolous,” Cage’s lawyer mentioned in a press release beforehand obtained by Rolling Stone. “Weston Coppola is a 34-year-old man. Mr. Cage doesn’t management Weston’s conduct in any method and isn’t answerable for Weston’s alleged assault of his mom.”
Fulton dismissed the Longlegs actor as a defendant final month. She’s nonetheless suing their son for assault, battery and emotional misery. In accordance with the grievance, the alleged assault “derailed” Fulton’s life, forcing her to drop out of a Netflix collection and promotional occasions associated to her skincare and health ventures.
