The Rev. George Chaanine said Sunday night that the woman who leveled sexual assault and attempted murder accusations against him did so because she wanted his money.
"You try to do your best, but people take advantage of you," the 53-year-old Roman Catholic priest said during an interview at the county jail. "They take the best of you, and they want more and more."
Chaanine said he gave Michaelina Bellamy and her daughter thousands of dollars out of friendship and generosity. But they wanted more money and fabricated the accusations to get more funds from him, he said.
"I did my best for this family. They don't know what friendship is," he said, adding that he supported Bellamy and her family financially "from head to toe."
Bellamy, a professional singer who performed with Engelbert Humperdinck and starred in "Folies Bergere" in the 1980s, sang at Our Lady of Las Vegas Catholic Church and in October was hired by Chaanine as the church's events coordinator.
She accused Chaanine of hitting her in the head with a wine bottle multiple times, stomping on her hand and groping her Jan. 26 at the church. Bellamy suffered a broken hand and needed 20 staples to close the gash in her head.
Chaanine is facing multiple charges, including attempted murder with a deadly weapon, battery with substantial bodily harm, sexual assault with a deadly weapon and kidnapping.
Chaanine has pleaded innocent to all of the charges and remains jailed on $1 million bail. His trial is scheduled for the end of July, but it may be postponed to January.
Bellamy's lawyer, Robert Massi, called Chaanine's statements Sunday ludicrous.
"How do you make up a physical assault? Were these self-induced wounds? A court of law will decide who is telling the truth," Massi said.
At a Feb. 27 court hearing, Bellamy's daughter, Jacquelyn Veith, testified that Chaanine gave her money to help pay her bills and mortgage and treated her to lunch daily.
During that hearing, the 54-year-old Bellamy said Chaanine bought her shoes, clothes and groceries and frequently took her out to eat. Chaanine was in love with her, she said.
Chaanine refused to say Sunday night whether he had been romantically involved with Bellamy.
He maintained that he was innocent, but during the interview, which was limited to 20 minutes by the jail, he did not give an explanation for Bellamy's injuries.
He said he did not flee after the allegations of assault at the church but simply left town because he wanted time to think and get ready for the media attention that he knew was coming.
"I wanted to spend time with my Lord. I wasn't running. I was taking my time and preparing myself for what was to come," he said.
He added that if he had wanted to try to run from the authorities, he would not have used his own 2005 Buick LeSabre because people were familiar with his car and because it was equipped with an OnStar tracking device.
He lashed out at the way he had been portrayed in media reports.
"In 24 hours the media can make you a monster or a hero," he said.
Despite previous statements to friends that the church turned its back on him, Chaanine said he has received spiritual support from the Diocese of Las Vegas.
He said Kevin McAuliffe, vicar general for the diocese, visited him at the jail Friday and offered to help him.
"We are one family," he said. "I felt abandoned, but it is all cleared up."
He said he has kept his spirits up through prayer and leading Bible studies for other inmates during his nearly four months behind bars.
Chaanine said he does not feel hatred toward Bellamy. He said he still wants to help her in any way he can.
"I gave my promise to support the family no matter what," he said.
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