Kim Delaney Says Her ‘Celebrity Status’ Made Her Flee Crash Scene

Kim Delaney has revealed why she chose to flee a crash scene after she rammed into a man named Dzhamal Badalov with her vehicle.

Badalov had accused the “NYPD Blue” star of being drunk while driving on that fateful day and sued her for unspecified damages.

Kim Delaney’s estranged husband, James Morgan, was also recently arrested after law enforcement received several calls reporting a family disturbance at their Los Angeles-area apartment complex.

Delaney has filed new documents relating to a bizarre hit-and-run incident involving a man named Dzhamal Badalov back in 2022.

Badalov sued her for the accident in January 2024, claiming she reeked of alcohol as witnesses saw her driving erratically before the alleged crash.

In his lawsuit, he claimed that he stopped at a red light in November 2022 when Delaney crashed into his bike, flinging him from his motorcycle to the intersection. When Delaney got out of her car, she was allegedly acting disoriented but managed to call an unknown person on her phone.

The actress then gave him the phone to speak with the person, whom he said tried to offer him an unspecified amount of money not to call the cops, but he didn’t take it.

However, she fled the scene before the cops arrived, leading him to file the lawsuit at the time. He’s suing her for unspecified damages.

According to TMZ, new court records show that Delaney admitted to ramming Badalov with her vehicle, but denied being drunk when the accident happened, telling a judge she left the scene because she feared for her safety.

The Emmy-winning actress said that she was surrounded by several people in the aftermath of the incident, and had a “previous history of personal assault in this neighborhood.”

She also noted that she’s an actress who has “appeared in television series and movies, and is additionally fearful of any retribution or attack based on her perceived celebrity status.”

Delaney denies Badalov’s claims that she was drunk, saying the crash was caused by third parties beyond her control.

Meanwhile, she was ordered in April 2024 to do 50 hours of community service and complete the Mothers Against Drunk Driving Program (MADD) over the alleged 2022 incident, per the Daily Mail.

At the time, reports suggested she “was told she must not operate a vehicle without a valid driver’s license in her possession and liability insurance.”

This isn’t the first time the veteran actress has made headlines for controversial reasons, as her estranged husband James Morgan was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of domestic violence.

The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department revealed that they had to swing into action after receiving at least three 911 calls complaining of the noise and verbal disturbance that was coming from a Marina del Rey apartment complex.

Morgan was picked up as a result of the phone calls and “his refusal to cooperate with the investigation,” and was booked for a misdemeanor charge.

According to People Magazine, a spokesperson revealed at the time that he was “cited and released.”

The incident comes amid Delaney and Morgan’s rocky relationship over the past couple of years, with reports suggesting they are currently in the middle of a divorce.

The pair ran into trouble last year with the “Army Wives” actress arrested on suspicion of felony assault following an alleged domestic disturbance, which also saw Morgan arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor domestic violence for alleged assault with a deadly weapon.

According to the reports, both arrests came after a “heated argument that turned physical.”

Delaney later appeared before an L.A. court in April that year, but a spokesperson revealed that the L.A. District Attorney’s Office “declined to file charges against Kim Delaney and James Morgan due to insufficient evidence.” She was released from custody without a formal criminal complaint.

Despite the sourness in their relationship, the 69-year-old actress hasn’t refrained from showering her husband with love from time to time on social media.

Days before their arrest in March 2025, she took to Instagram to share a photo with him and captioned it “Pure love #lucky #grateful.”

After their release, she shared a photo of a bouquet of flowers to celebrate her husband’s birthday, writing, “Birthday Boy, 55!!!!! Your wife loves you, my guy!”