Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson has been no stranger to the headlines during his career. From his arrest last summer on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge, to addiction issues, mental health and his relationship with Jennifer Guardino.
Guardino, Watson's girlfriend and mother of their daughter, opened up on Wednesday about these topics on “Off Ice with Ida & Julie,” a podcast hosted by the wives of Watson's teammates Kyle Turris and Mattias Ekholm.
Last summer, Watson was arrested on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge, in which it was alleged that he hit Guardino outside of a Shell gas station in Franklin. The arrest led to an 18 game suspension at the start of the 2018-19 NHL season.
She opened up and addressed the incident;
“I think to this day the hardest thing for me to get over in regards to that incident is the way that Austin and myself were viewed," Guardino said during the podcast. "You know things from that day will follow him forever and kind of, in a sense, haunt him.”
“It breaks my heart because he is such a loving man. He's a phenomenal father and works so hard to create a safe environment for me and (our) daughter. It's hard for me to say I would take anything back because today him and I are in such a bitchin' place ... and are so strong from what happened."
"I think a lot of people were expecting us to part ways and not know what to do."
She stressed that in no way did Watson commit domestic violence against her, as was alleged to have happened in October of 2018.
"Austin Watson has never and would never hit or abuse me. My behavior and state of intoxication led to the police being involved that day."
Guardino also touched heavily on her own struggles. She gave credit to Watson for helping her with these issues, stemming from a childhood filled with torment and an unstable home-life, which led her to develop an eating disorder as she began down the path of addiction, drug use and alcoholism.
"Austin has helped me a lot with that," Guardino said. "I get emotional talking about him because he's the first man that I've ever truly trusted and that loves me for who I am, even on days when I don't even know who that is. "
She noted that she and Watson, who both fell victim to relapse in January as specified during the podcast, have worked to be in a much better place now, together.
“I'm proud to say I'm an alcoholic and an addict and a recovering human being," she said. "I'm in a good place. ... choosing alcohol over being with her (their young daughter) was my breaking point. I saw addiction at its finest and it just broke me. ... I'm a better mother because of it now."
Sober and working together, Guardino and Watson seem to certainly be better off now than the news we've seen over the last year and a half.
To further their newfound ease, Watson also seemingly doesn't have to wonder about his job hanging in the balance anymore either, having signed a 3-year contract extension with the Predators worth 4.5 million dollars.
Source: Off the Ice with Ida & Julie
