NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Jack White denies making any threats against his estranged wife in a court filing Friday that responds to her request for a temporary restraining order.
British singer and model Karen Elson was granted the temporary restraining order pending a hearing. She showed the court an email from the former White Stripes frontman that expresses unhappiness with Elson's plans for their children's schooling and takes a swipe at rock "n' roll rival Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys.
In his court filing, White denies his wife's claims and says his wife went back on a verbal agreement to settle the divorce without mediation.
White has asked the court to establish a temporary parenting plan and said he does not oppose the temporary restraining order except for communications about the children.
White's attorney said the singer also was upset over Elson's decision to keep their two children longer than he agreed to during a recent trip.
"The reason for filing this response is that Mr. White does not want to be portrayed as something he is not, violent to his wife or children," wrote White's attorney, Cathy Speers Johnson.
White also provided the court with emails from Elson in which she said she and the children loved him and missed him and that he was a great father.
In one of the emails submitted by Elson, White lashed out at Auerbach, whose bluesy rock duo is often compared to The White Stripes. It's not a comparison either rocker enjoys, but their careers have been linked by fans and critics for years. Both now live in Nashville and they even shared album of the year nominations at this year's Grammy Awards.
A spokeswoman for White said Friday the singer's only comment would come through court filings. A spokeswoman for Auerbach said he had no comment.
White's July 16 email to Elson exposed White's feelings about Auerbach for the first time. According to Elson's filing, White wanted to move their son out of a class with the child of another entertainer that White felt had "ripped off" his music. In one email, White calls Auerbach a derogatory name and says he didn't want to spend the next 12 years sitting in kids' chairs "with people trying to lump us in together."
He added, "He gets yet another free reign to follow me around and copy me and push himself into my world." Elson also said in her request for the temporary restraining order that White berated her for attending the wedding of another of his "rivals" that he also felt was ripping him off.
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Associated Press writer Erik Schelzig also contributed to this report.