Soul legend James Brown faces assault charges after allegedly pushing his wife to the floor during an argument.
Mr Brown, 70, was charged after Tomi Mae Brown, 33, was taken to hospital with scratches and bruises.
Mr Brown denied a charge of criminal domestic violence, saying "I love her very much", and was released from jail in South Carolina on Thursday.
"I would never hurt my wife and beat up on her like that," said Mr Brown, who could face 30 days jail if convicted.
Mr Brown, who is known as the Godfather of Soul, has also been ordered to stay away from his wife. His publicist refused to comment on the incident.
He was thought to have split from Tomi Rae, his fourth wife, in 2003 after the singer took out an advert in Variety magazine using a picture of cartoon character Goofy to announce the separation.
In 1988, Brown was jailed for two-and-a-half years for assault and in 1998 he was convicted of a drug related offence.
But he was granted a state pardon in 2003 by the state of South Carolina, meaning he was fully forgiven in the eyes of the law and no longer has to deal with the consequences of his past crimes.
Last month, Brown was honoured as "one of the most influential musicians of the past 50 years" by the Kennedy Center honours.
Among his biggest hits are I Got You (I Feel Good), Sex Machine and Living in America.
^ Back to top | BBC Sport Home | BBC Homepage | Contact us | Help | ©