MINNEAPOLIS — A judge has ordered U.S. Senate candidate Royce White to stay away from his ex-wife and son. White was accused of serial domestic abuse. The restraining order was issued by Hennepin County Judge Kristen Marttila in February. The case escaped immediate public attention, but acting on a tip, Minnesota Public Radio found a trail of allegations in court documents and broke the story. The restraining order protecting White’s ex-wife is for an unusually lengthy period — 50 years. Judge Marttila concluded that the family was “plainly in fear” and “utterly at a loss for how else to gain peace from him.” White is 35. The Whites divorced in 2015 but lived together from 2022 until August 2025. The restraining order is the third order for protection that the ex-wife has obtained against White. The new restraining order protects the teen-age son for four years. A child advocate assigned to the case found the son “scared for his physical safety around his father.” A daughter, however, reportedly is not fearful and is exempted from the order. The petition for protection says White abused his son at a high school basketball practice. White was quoted as not approving of his son’s attitude and then, according to the petition, chased him, grabbed him by the neck, and threw him into the metal ball rack. The document cited scratches and painful injuries. The ex-wife said White abused her repeatedly — slapping her, grabbing her, pulling her hair, leaving her bruised and swollen. He was jealous, threatening and insulting, showed up uninvited at her home and work, called her a bitch, and took over her email and social media accounts to message people she knew, she said.
White. Six-foot-8 and 260 pounds. Formerly bounced around among several National Basketball Association teams.
What next?
White failed to respond immediately to news media requests about the restraining order. Also unreturned were queries to White’s campaign manager, his attorney, and the attorney for his ex-wife. Court records showed he intended to appeal.
Royce White profile
He was born in Minneapolis and christened Alexander White. In 2009 he as named Mr. Minnesota Basketball for his performance at LaSalle and Hopkins high schools. For college he started at the University of Minnesota but transferred to Iowa State te. He led Iowa State in every major statistical category. Professionally he was drafted by the Houston Rockets. After skipping practices and being diagnosed with an anxiety disorder that included a fear of flying, he was relegated to feeder clubs in Edinburg, Reno and Sacramento. Unwilling to deal with his menial issues, the Rockets finally cut him loose. From 2016 to 2018 he played for the London Lightning in Canada. He helped the Lightning win the league championship and was named the most valuable player. In 2022 White campaigned as a right-wing populist against incumbent Ilhan Omar for the MN-5 seat in the U.S. House. He lost. In 2024, he was the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Amy Klobuchar but tripped himelf up several times with whacky statements. In 2026 he announced againn for the U.S. Senate, this time seeking the seat bejng vacated by Tina Smith’s retirement.
Early violence
In 2009, just out of high school, White pleaded guilty to theft and disorderly conduct for an incident at the Mall of America. He was accused of taking $100 worth of clothes and pushing a mall security officer to the ground twice. He claimed that the security officer was charging at him and that he was defending himself. He was suspended for the upcoming NCAA Division I basketball season.