Katie Porter accuses ex-boyfriend of ‘persistent abuse,’ seeks domestic violence restraining order
Julian Willis' purported threats to disseminate "false" information to the media "poses a serious risk to my career and personal reputation,” as stated by Porter. In response, Willis claimed that the filing was aimed at countering his own allegations against her.
TroibNews 
LOS ANGELES — Outgoing Rep. Katie Porter is pursuing a temporary restraining order against an ex-boyfriend, Julian Willis, citing his "persistent abuse and harassment." She informed the court that he has sent over 1,000 messages through text and email to her, her family, and her staff over a span of three months, which has resulted in "significant fear for [her] personal safety and well-being."
Porter filed a petition for a domestic violence restraining order on Tuesday in Orange County Superior Court, claiming that Willis, her former partner of several years, has sent a series of abusive messages aimed at causing "significant harm" to her public persona.
The petition reveals various troubling messages, including threats to contact Child Protective Services to remove her children from her custody, attempts to extort her out of thousands of dollars, and "defamatory" false allegations, such as claims that she has genital herpes.
In her declaration, Porter noted that Willis struggles with substance abuse and mental health challenges, having been involuntarily hospitalized twice since 2022. While she stated that he had attempted to tackle these issues by attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings and residing in a sober living facility during spring 2023, she argues that his substance use has persisted.
“I have observed him misusing prescription painkillers, snorting Ritalin, and abusing cannabis and nicotine patches,” she detailed. “He has also previously disclosed to me his use of cocaine and nitrous oxide."
Willis, 55, spoke with PMG by phone on Tuesday, asserting that Porter is pursuing the restraining order to prevent him from suing her and to protect himself and her children — as well as to keep him from going to the media. “This is her way of combatting all that,” he said. He claims to have been sober for more than three years; however, court documents reportedly reveal text messages in which he acknowledges issues with substance abuse and vows to recommit to sobriety in 2022.
Willis provided communication records with the University of California Irvine Police Department, alleging that Porter was "aggressive" and "violent" towards him and her children in mid-August. He requested police oversight when moving out. Porter, through a spokesperson, stated that she was out of state on the day Willis moved and received no indication from either him or her neighbors that police were involved. PMG has requested copies of these reports from UC Irvine.
“She’s a monster,” Willis added.
The request for a restraining order comes as Porter approaches the end of her term in the House after an unsuccessful Senate campaign this year. Known for her outspoken stance against corporate influence, she plans to return to her law teaching position at the University of California, Irvine in January. However, Porter has remained active in the public sphere, backing fellow Democrats and preparing for a possible gubernatorial run in 2026 when Gov. Gavin Newsom reaches his term limit.
Concerns about her political career are highlighted in Porter’s declaration, where she stated, “He has already contacted at least three reporters to disseminate false and damaging information about me and my children. As a prominent political figure, this threat poses a serious risk to my career and personal reputation.”
According to her declaration, Porter instructed Willis to move out and cease contacting her by late August, even threatening legal action if he did not comply. He left on August 23, yet continued to inundate her with messages, at times sending up to dozens each day. Porter described Willis’s motivations as an effort to compel her into "prolonged psychiatric treatment" and noted that he threatened to "punish the fuck out of you."
“If you don’t fully comprehend what is transpiring, right now, let me spell it out for you. The noose is tightening around Katie’s neck,” he wrote in an email addressed to Porter’s son and ex-husband, which he subsequently forwarded to her attorney. In the email, he threatened to “bring the hammer down on Katie and smash her and her life into a million pieces.”
Included in Porter’s 22-page document were several emails and texts illustrating the ongoing situation, along with references to Willis’s hospitalizations and reports from colleagues, including a member of Congress, about unsettling messages they received from him.
Willis’s communications extended to Sen. Elizabeth Warren and her husband. He requested a conversation with Warren regarding the situation, as she had previously mentored Porter at Harvard.
Porter's filing requests that a judge issue a no-contact order, mandating that Willis maintain a distance of at least 100 yards from her home, workplace, and her children's schools. She also wishes the restraining order to protect her three children, aged between 12 and 18, and her 78-year-old mother.
Porter described the situation as "very unfortunate," acknowledging Willis’s documented struggles with mental health and substance abuse. “As the records filed today show, those issues have gotten increasingly worse since I ended the relationship and asked him to leave my house. In recent weeks, his threats against my family and my colleagues have escalated in both their frequency and intensity, and I feel I must ask for this order from the court. I sincerely hope he can get the help he needs,” she said in a statement to PMG.
Willis gained media attention in July 2021 after being involved in a violent incident during a Porter town hall disrupted by far-right protesters. He was arrested and cited before being released, which prompted Porter to criticize the Irvine police response, labeling it “a disgrace” in a leaked text exchange with the city's mayor.
Porter's personal life has been under public scrutiny before. She proactively provided documents from her divorce with ex-husband Matthew Hoffman to the Huffington Post amid rumors that threatened her initial House run in 2018.
In 2013, Porter obtained a restraining order against Hoffman after he allegedly punched a wall beside her, causing a light switch plate to shatter. He later filed a reciprocal restraining order, claiming that Porter was also verbally and physically abusive.
In her 2023 memoir, Porter reflected on the difficulty of discussing her troubled marriage. While she regarded it as a political necessity, her children found it challenging to cope with public revelations. Ultimately, Porter expressed regret over her choice to disclose the details, calling it “the only thing in that I’ve done in politics that I’m ashamed of.” She acknowledged the inherent conflict between being a genuine person with a real life and the demands of American politics, explaining, “There were real costs to telling my story, and even as I pretended otherwise, I knew I was making a choice between my kids and my campaign.”
Emily Schultheis contributed to this report.
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
Porter filed a petition for a domestic violence restraining order on Tuesday in Orange County Superior Court, claiming that Willis, her former partner of several years, has sent a series of abusive messages aimed at causing "significant harm" to her public persona.
The petition reveals various troubling messages, including threats to contact Child Protective Services to remove her children from her custody, attempts to extort her out of thousands of dollars, and "defamatory" false allegations, such as claims that she has genital herpes.
In her declaration, Porter noted that Willis struggles with substance abuse and mental health challenges, having been involuntarily hospitalized twice since 2022. While she stated that he had attempted to tackle these issues by attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings and residing in a sober living facility during spring 2023, she argues that his substance use has persisted.
“I have observed him misusing prescription painkillers, snorting Ritalin, and abusing cannabis and nicotine patches,” she detailed. “He has also previously disclosed to me his use of cocaine and nitrous oxide."
Willis, 55, spoke with PMG by phone on Tuesday, asserting that Porter is pursuing the restraining order to prevent him from suing her and to protect himself and her children — as well as to keep him from going to the media. “This is her way of combatting all that,” he said. He claims to have been sober for more than three years; however, court documents reportedly reveal text messages in which he acknowledges issues with substance abuse and vows to recommit to sobriety in 2022.
Willis provided communication records with the University of California Irvine Police Department, alleging that Porter was "aggressive" and "violent" towards him and her children in mid-August. He requested police oversight when moving out. Porter, through a spokesperson, stated that she was out of state on the day Willis moved and received no indication from either him or her neighbors that police were involved. PMG has requested copies of these reports from UC Irvine.
“She’s a monster,” Willis added.
The request for a restraining order comes as Porter approaches the end of her term in the House after an unsuccessful Senate campaign this year. Known for her outspoken stance against corporate influence, she plans to return to her law teaching position at the University of California, Irvine in January. However, Porter has remained active in the public sphere, backing fellow Democrats and preparing for a possible gubernatorial run in 2026 when Gov. Gavin Newsom reaches his term limit.
Concerns about her political career are highlighted in Porter’s declaration, where she stated, “He has already contacted at least three reporters to disseminate false and damaging information about me and my children. As a prominent political figure, this threat poses a serious risk to my career and personal reputation.”
According to her declaration, Porter instructed Willis to move out and cease contacting her by late August, even threatening legal action if he did not comply. He left on August 23, yet continued to inundate her with messages, at times sending up to dozens each day. Porter described Willis’s motivations as an effort to compel her into "prolonged psychiatric treatment" and noted that he threatened to "punish the fuck out of you."
“If you don’t fully comprehend what is transpiring, right now, let me spell it out for you. The noose is tightening around Katie’s neck,” he wrote in an email addressed to Porter’s son and ex-husband, which he subsequently forwarded to her attorney. In the email, he threatened to “bring the hammer down on Katie and smash her and her life into a million pieces.”
Included in Porter’s 22-page document were several emails and texts illustrating the ongoing situation, along with references to Willis’s hospitalizations and reports from colleagues, including a member of Congress, about unsettling messages they received from him.
Willis’s communications extended to Sen. Elizabeth Warren and her husband. He requested a conversation with Warren regarding the situation, as she had previously mentored Porter at Harvard.
Porter's filing requests that a judge issue a no-contact order, mandating that Willis maintain a distance of at least 100 yards from her home, workplace, and her children's schools. She also wishes the restraining order to protect her three children, aged between 12 and 18, and her 78-year-old mother.
Porter described the situation as "very unfortunate," acknowledging Willis’s documented struggles with mental health and substance abuse. “As the records filed today show, those issues have gotten increasingly worse since I ended the relationship and asked him to leave my house. In recent weeks, his threats against my family and my colleagues have escalated in both their frequency and intensity, and I feel I must ask for this order from the court. I sincerely hope he can get the help he needs,” she said in a statement to PMG.
Willis gained media attention in July 2021 after being involved in a violent incident during a Porter town hall disrupted by far-right protesters. He was arrested and cited before being released, which prompted Porter to criticize the Irvine police response, labeling it “a disgrace” in a leaked text exchange with the city's mayor.
Porter's personal life has been under public scrutiny before. She proactively provided documents from her divorce with ex-husband Matthew Hoffman to the Huffington Post amid rumors that threatened her initial House run in 2018.
In 2013, Porter obtained a restraining order against Hoffman after he allegedly punched a wall beside her, causing a light switch plate to shatter. He later filed a reciprocal restraining order, claiming that Porter was also verbally and physically abusive.
In her 2023 memoir, Porter reflected on the difficulty of discussing her troubled marriage. While she regarded it as a political necessity, her children found it challenging to cope with public revelations. Ultimately, Porter expressed regret over her choice to disclose the details, calling it “the only thing in that I’ve done in politics that I’m ashamed of.” She acknowledged the inherent conflict between being a genuine person with a real life and the demands of American politics, explaining, “There were real costs to telling my story, and even as I pretended otherwise, I knew I was making a choice between my kids and my campaign.”
Emily Schultheis contributed to this report.
Sophie Wagner contributed to this report for TROIB News
