Randy Valli Testifies in Restaurant Battery Case

During the final day of testimony in her two-week battery trial, Randy Valli took the witness stand Wednesday and told jurors she never slapped a Moorpark restaurant owner across the face.

Instead, the wife of ‘60s singing idol Frankie Valli testified in Ventura Superior Court that she pushed the owner in self-defense while trying to catch her balance after the woman shook her from a chair.

“She was right there,” Valli said, raising her hands in front of her to demonstrate. “I just defended myself. I protected myself from her.”

Valli, 39, is charged with misdemeanor battery for allegedly striking Secret Garden owner Sandra “Alex” Sofsky in October. The Vallis were dining with singer Frankie Avalon and his wife, Kay, at the time.

Prosecutors allege that the two couples were rude to employees and complained about the upscale restaurant’s menu prices, prompting a confrontation in which Valli hit Sofsky.

But Valli told jurors Wednesday that it was Sofsky who attacked her.

Valli described how Sofsky stormed up to their table after the meal and berated the foursome with a string of profanities.

Valli said that Sofsky grabbed her by the shoulders and swung her out of the chair. To balance herself, Valli said, she raised her hands and ended up pushing Sofsky.

Immediately afterward, the couples walked out of the restaurant without paying their $178 bill.

On cross-examination, Deputy Dist. Atty. John Longergran confronted Valli with conflicting statements from witnesses who described the party as loud and foul-mouthed.

He also challenged her version of the events, repeatedly asking the defendant if she had slapped Sofsky in a rage. But Valli stuck to her story.

“I swear to God, that did not happen,” she said.

Closing arguments are scheduled to begin this morning.