Graham Platner denies damning new report alleging abuse as 'simply not true'

Maine Democratic Senate candidate [Graham Platner](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/graham-platner-controversies-fuel-speculation-little-known-maine-ballot-replacement-provision) denied the latest allegations against him on Thursday in his first national media interview since the scandal broke. Prior to the interview, Graham Platner’s ex-girlfriends spoke out in [a damning New York Times report](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hated-women-explosive-abuse-new-nazi-tattoo-allegations-exes-rock-platners-campaign), which chronicled new allegations of rape fantasies, heavy drinking and violent episodes. Among them included an alleged public encounter where Platner purportedly pulled an ex-girlfriend out of a taxi by her wrist during an altercation and pushed her into a bedroom holding the door shut. Platner asserted that this and other allegations were "not true" and "did not" happen when asked on MS NOW's "All In with Chris Hayes." [**GRAHAM PLATNER AVOIDS MAINSTREAM PRESS AS SCANDALS SURROUNDING MAINE DEMOCRAT GROWS**](https://www.foxnews.com/media/graham-platner-avoids-mainstream-press-scandals-surrounding-maine-democrat-grows) "No, it did not," Platner said. "There are some allegations in this piece that I just want to be kind of unequivocal about are simply not true. Anything alleging physicality, anything alleging that I knew what my tattoo was, these are the statements of someone who’s politically motivated in this piece." He continued, "There’s a lot about my struggling not being a good boyfriend, certainly self-medicating with alcohol. And I’ve been very up front since the beginning of this campaign that that was a pretty dark period of my life after I came back from my combat service. And that’s what that combat, that’s what that kind of life looks like. And so there are things in this that I absolutely will take responsibility for and have been speaking about openly for months now, but those serious allegations are just not true." [**FETTERMAN DARES PLATNER TO RELEASE MESSAGES WITH MYSTERY WOMEN, SAYS HE'LL 'WEAR A SUIT EVERY DAY' IN RETURN**](https://www.foxnews.com/media/fetterman-dares-platner-release-kik-messages-mystery-women-ill-wear-suit-every-day) "You did not grab her by the wrist. You did not put your hands on her shoulders. You did not push her into a room that you closed the door on. She's lying about that is what you’re saying?" Hayes asked. "Yes. That is not true," Platner said. In a statement to [Fox News Digital](https://www.foxnews.com/media) after the story originally broke, Platner's campaign previously criticized one of the witnesses, Lyndsey Fifield, as a "lifelong GOP operative who’s dedicated her career to electing Republicans." [**'THE VIEW' ERUPTS AFTER HOSTIN DECLARES 'I WOULD HOLD MY NOSE' AND VOTE FOR SCANDAL-PLAGUED GRAHAM PLATNER**](https://www.foxnews.com/media/the-view-erupts-after-hostin-declares-i-would-hold-my-nose-vote-scandal-plagued-graham-platner) Platner has been involved in several controversies since launching his Senate campaign. Earlier this year, it was revealed that Platner had a now-covered-up tattoo that resembled a Nazi symbol. In the weeks that followed, he faced backlash over past Reddit comments with several controversial statements, including where he claimed a wounded soldier "didn’t deserve to live." Last week, reports also revealed that Platner had [sent explicit messages to](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/senate-candidate-graham-platner-sent-explicit-texts-multiple-women-while-married-wife-says) at least six women while he was married. The Wall Street Journal reported that Platner's wife, Amy Gertner, informed a campaign aide about the text exchanges shortly after he launched his Senate bid as staffers were assessing potential political liabilities. Gertner later released a video defending her husband and his campaign.