Tom Denies Roseanne’s Abuse Charges : Personalities: Arnold says he would like to reconcile with his wife and denies physically attacking her or having an extramarital affair.

The real-life soap opera starring Tom and Roseanne Arnold took another twist Wednesday when he said that the charges of abuse leveled against him by his wife were untrue but added that he wants to reconcile with her anyway.

“I love her and would like to reconcile, but these allegations are very severe,” Arnold said in an interview. “I told her how devastating this all is. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I know I would like to talk with her in a healthy environment with our rabbi or our therapist.”

Roseanne Arnold filed for divorce Monday, claiming that Tom had been emotionally and physically abusive throughout their four-year marriage.

In addition to being one of Hollywood’s most high-profile couples, the Arnolds were executive producers and stars of ABC’s popular “Roseanne” and CBS’ struggling “Tom.” They have several projects in the works under their Wapello County production company.

Tom Arnold said he had talked to his wife on the phone during the past few days, and that she had told him she signed legal papers detailing her charges of abuse without reading them. “She told me she was going to correct the charges,” he said.

Roseanne was unavailable for comment Wednesday.

Tom said the couple’s various projects together and separately had taken a toll on the marriage.

“It’s been a tough year for both of us,” he said. “We’ve both worked very hard. I’ve produced three shows and filmed a movie, and she’s done ‘Roseanne’ and wrote a book. We haven’t been together like the good old days. My problem is that I took on too many projects and didn’t spend enough time on the marriage.”

He added, “It was something I recognized and was going to correct next year. I missed the time we used to have together. She’s been going through a lot and I wasn’t there for her as much as I should have been.”

In an affidavit filed Monday in support of a temporary restraining order, Roseanne Arnold described several incidents in which she said her husband attacked her.

“I now realize that I am a classic battered and abused wife who has tolerated the conduct of (Arnold) only because (Arnold) has successfully lowered my self-esteem and reduced me into the realm of battered wife syndrome,” she wrote.

Tom Arnold denied his wife’s allegations that he had moved out of their Brentwood home six months ago under a mutual agreement, and that she had fired him from his executive producer position on “Roseanne.”

He also said that rumors of an affair between him and his assistant, Kim Silva, which reportedly was the focus of a bitter argument between the couple on the set of “Roseanne” last Friday, were false.

“The problems between me and Rosey have nothing to do with a third party,” he said. “Rosey knows this. Kim is a close friend of hers.”

Arnold added, “We have had a volatile relationship. We’re passionate people. But we love each other. I think we will resolve this.”