'Return of the Mack' Singer Mark Morrison Arrested for Battery After Alleged Restaurant Altercation

R&B singer Mark Morrison, best known for his 1996 hit "Return of the Mack," was arrested in Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday night after allegedly shoving a restaurant manager during a heated dispute.

According to a police report obtained by TMZ, Morrison, 50, "stormed into" Le Bar à Vin and began yelling and cursing at the restaurant's general manager, Nicola Lavacca.

Witnesses claim Morrison was upset about an event he had started planning at the restaurant the night before.

The situation escalated when Morrison allegedly pushed Lavacca in the upper body. The manager did not retaliate, and a bystander quickly intervened, separating the two men before matters worsened.

Morrison was later arrested on a charge of simple battery. A photo obtained by a source shows him wearing a black shirt, shorts, and yellow shoes while being handcuffed outside the venue.

According to DailyMail, He was detained overnight and released Sunday morning after posting a $1,000 bond. His arraignment is scheduled for April 15 at the Palm Beach County Courthouse.

The restaurant's nightlife manager, Fabrizio Riillo, told the Palm Beach Daily News that Morrison had brought another singer to the venue on Friday for an event.

During the performance, Morrison allegedly urged the singer's team to increase the volume. Lavacca later instructed them to turn it down, which reportedly led to the altercation the following evening.

Mark Morrison's Legal Woes Continue as Attorney Defends His Actions

Morrison's attorney, Rick King, issued a statement acknowledging the incident but claimed that the confrontation had "racially charged" elements, the NY Post said.

"Mr. Morrison remains fully cooperative with authorities and is confident that the facts will provide clarity on the circumstances surrounding the incident and vindicate him of wrongdoing," King stated. He also urged the public to withhold judgment until all details emerge.

This is not Morrison's first legal issue. In 1997, he served three months in jail for attempting to bring a firearm onto an airplane.

The following year, he was sentenced to a year in prison for hiring a lookalike to perform his court-ordered community service after being convicted of affray related to a brawl that resulted in a fatality.

Throughout the years, he has also faced various charges, including possession of an offensive weapon and theft accusations.

Despite his legal troubles, Morrison remains an influential figure in 1990s R&B. "Return of the Mack" reached number two on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was recently ranked number 318 on Billboard's 500 Best Pop Songs of All Time. The track also surpassed 500 million streams on Spotify in January.

Morrison, who was born in Germany and raised in Leicester, England, now resides in Florida, where he owns two multimillion-dollar properties.

He also founded the MackLife record label and has been involved in initiatives to reduce youth crime, such as the "Drop the Knife, Pick up the Mic" campaign.

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