‘Orange Is The New Black’ star appears in court following alleged assault on teenage girl

Dascha Polanco was arrested in July for 'striking' 17-year-old Michelle Cardona

Dascha Polanco, star of hit Netflix series Orange Is The New Black, has appeared in court in New York after being accused of assaulting a teenage girl.

The actress, who plays pregnant prisoner Dayanara Diaz on the US show, appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday (December 3).

The star faces four counts of assault and harassment after being arrested on July 29.

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It is alleged that Polanco attacked Michelle Cardona, 17, at the teen’s home in Upper Manhattan.

According to court papers obtained by celebrity website Page Six, the star is accused of “striking Ms Cardona about the face and head with a closed fist at least three times, pull[ing] Ms Cardona’s hair, and [striking] Ms. Cardona’s arms with the defendant’s hands and nails”.

NMEPress

Polanco denies the charges, with her defence attorney Gerald Lefcourt claiming in a statement: “It’s a setup to try to get money and it was tape-recorded. This young woman was trying to extort her to drop the case. We’re confident the charges will be dismissed”

The actress has been released without bail. Her next scheduled court appearance will be in January 2016.

Polanco has portrayed her character of Dayanara Diaz since the show’s inception in 2013.

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