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It began with an unlikely love match: Canadian figure skater Lloyd Eisler and a B-list actress best known as the original Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

But the story of the couple's romance is lurching toward a non-Hollywood ending, after police laid an assault charge this weekend against actress Kristy Swanson for allegedly punching her lover's ex-wife, a teacher from Kingston.

Now, the city of Kingston has been drawn into the bitter feud after Ms. Swanson's publicist yesterday alleged a cover-up by the local police force. Meantime, the force was under siege, fielding calls from media outlets from the National Enquirer to The New York Times.

"Kristy is an American who was attacked on foreign soil," publicist Michael Sands told The Globe and Mail. "I've contacted the FBI and I've asked them to go to Kingston Police. I want them to send someone to see what's going on."

Mr. Sands alleges that Kingston officers got it wrong when they charged Ms. Swanson. He says it was Marcia O'Brien who attacked her ex-husband and Ms. Swanson when they arrived outside her Kingston home to pick up her two children for a scheduled visit.

Yesterday, the couple took pictures of their bruises as evidence that they hope will lead to charges against Ms. O'Brien, Mr. Sands said.

A Kingston police spokesman paused, then chuckled, when he heard the accusations. "I'm sure the FBI have better things to do," Constable Michael Menor said.

The case is the latest example of how bad things can get when acrimonious marital splits fall into the hands of Hollywood publicists.

Mr. Eisler, a 1993 world champion and two-time Olympic medalist, fell for the former Playboy cover girl when the two were paired on the 2006 Fox reality show Skating with Celebrities. At the time the show was filmed, Mr. Eisler and Ms. O'Brien were married and she was pregnant with the couple's second son.

Mr. Eisler has since moved to Los Angeles with Ms. Swanson, and the couple recently had a child. On Friday, when Ms. Swanson and Mr. Eisler arrived at Ms. O'Brien's home, it was the first time that Ms. Swanson had been present for the handover of the couple's children, Mr. Sands said.

That's when Ms. Swanson allegedly attacked Ms. O'Brien, Constable Menor said.

"She allegedly goes 'pop!' - hits her in the eye ... goose egg," said Constable Menor, who yesterday answered calls from the who's who of U.S. entertainment media: The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, National Enquirer, Entertainment Tonight and In Touch magazine, among others.

Lately, so-called wronged women - the ones left behind for celebrities - have been coming out on top in the publicity wars.

Toronto radio and TV personality Mary Jo Eustace recently wrote an essay in the anthology The Other Woman about her messy split from Canadian actor Dean McDermott, who left their 12-year marriage after falling for actress Tori Spelling.

There's now even a show called Ex-Wives Club, featuring three famous exes who give couples advice on love and war: Shar Jackson, who was seeing Kevin Federline; Marla Maples, ex-wife of Donald Trump; and Angie Everhart, who was briefly engaged to Sylvester Stallone.

The show's website introduction reads: "How do you mend a broken heart? By getting angry, getting even and getting over it!"

But revenge, whether in public or private, hurts in the long run, especially when kids are involved, says Deborah Moskovitch, a Toronto divorce counsellor and author of The Smart Divorce, which will be released next month.

She says exes are better off getting counselling and surrounding themselves with friends. "Time is a healer."

Mr. Sands, also a publicist for Mr. Federline's lawyer, says Ms. O'Brien needs to take some notes from Ms. Jackson, who was dumped when Mr. Federline fell for Britney Spears.

"Shar Jackson never knocks Kevin," Mr. Sands said.

Ms. O'Brien was not available for comment yesterday. But her mother said in an e-mailed statement that "the past two years have been a nightmare for Marci who is a fantastic mother, friend and daughter and for whom we thank our lucky stars to share in her life.

"We pray the situation will improve for the benefit of the children."