Coal dynasty heir, 40, is charged with strangling wife at their enormous $4m mansion... months after he allegedly ripped chain from her neck at Monaco's iconic Hotel de Paris

By WILL POTTER, US SENIOR NEWS REPORTER Published: 14:10, 24 July 2026 | Updated: 14:24, 24 July 2026 The heir to an Alabama coal mining dynasty is facing domestic violence charges after allegedly strangling his wife at their $4 million mansion, shortly after he returned to the US from a European jail.  Christopher Lee Drummond, 40, the heir to the Drummond Company coal mining fortune, was arrested Monday in Jefferson County, Alabama for alleged assaults on his wife Alexis Drummond, 37.  He is facing charges in two cities, Birmingham and Mountain Brook, for several separate incidents from September 2025 to February 2026.  In Birmingham, charging documents show Drummond is facing felony domestic violence strangulation/suffocation charges in connection with an alleged assault on September 1, 2025.  Christopher, the son of coal mining executive Garry Drummond, who was once the richest man in Alabama, was also hit with misdemeanor domestic violence charges from an incident nine days later on September 10.  In Mountain Brook, Drummond is charged with domestic violence strangulation/ suffocation for allegedly attacking his wife in their lavish seven-bedroom mansion in Shook Hill on February 25.  The couple are in the midst of a bitter divorce, and Christopher is the subject of a protection from abuse order obtained by Alexis last month, alleging he has repeatedly assaulted and abused his wife over their six-year relationship, reports AL.com.  Alexis has also filed a civil lawsuit against her husband, alleging that he 'violently' tore a necklace from her neck in June while they were visiting the iconic Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo, Monaco.  She alleged that he also broke her cell phone and sprained her wrist, and according to the filing, Christopher was found guilty of intentional violence against a spouse and sentenced to 45 days in Remand Prison of Monaco.  Christopher Lee Drummond, 40, the heir to the Drummond Company coal mining fortune, is facing domestic violence charges after allegedly assaulting his wife Alexis, 37 Alexis Drummond has alleged in a civil lawsuit and an order of protection filing that she has been repeatedly assaulted and abused by the coal mining heir over their six-year relationship Christopher Drummond is facing several charges, including one count of domestic violence strangulation/ suffocation for allegedly attacking his wife in their lavish $4 million, seven-bedroom mansion in Shook Hill, Alabama (pictured under construction) on February 25 According to Alexis Drummond's civil filings against her husband, Christopher spent over a month locked up in the Monegasque jail, and he was arrested on domestic violence charges just weeks later when he returned to the US.  The coal company heir was booked into Jefferson County Jail at 11:36am on Monday, and he was released hours later at 2:23pm after posting a $66,000 bond.  Christopher is the son of Garry Neil Drummond, who was CEO of the family coal mining firm Drummond Company from 1973 until his death in 2016. He was listed by Forbes as the wealthiest person in Alabama, with a net worth of $980 million in 2015.  The firm was founded in 1935 by Christopher's grandfather, H. E. Drummond, and it grew into one of the largest energy producers based in the US, largely due to its overseas assets in Colombia. It produces upwards of 26 million tons of coal per year, and reportedly makes yearly profits of over $5 billion.  Alexis said in her court filings that she has been in a relationship with Christopher since 2020 and they got married in March 2023, and they share one child together.  Her attorneys have filed a civil lawsuit against Christopher alleging physical abuse, as well as a separate lawsuit against his attorneys for allegedly trespassing and invading her privacy.  She alleges in the filings that the lawyers 'dognapped' her Maltese puppy, Mila, during their contentious divorce proceedings.  In her protection from abuse order filed in June, which was granted, Alexis alleged that her husband has repeatedly physically abused her throughout their six-year relationship.  She alleged that this has included strangling her, assaulting her while she was pregnant, and holding a gun to her head, per ABC3340. Christopher Drummond is facing charges in two cities, Birmingham and Mountain Brook, for several separate alleged incidents from September 2025 to February 2026 Alexis Drummond has accused her husband of strangling her, assaulting her while she was preganant, and holding a gun to her head. She has also accused Christopher's attorneys of 'dognapping' her Maltese puppy  Christopher is the son of Garry Neil Drummond, who was CEO of the family coal mining firm Drummond Company from 1973 until his death in 2016. He was listed by Forbes as the wealthiest person in Alabama, with a net worth of $980 million In Alexis's civil domestic abuse lawsuit against her husband, she alleged that last month while on a trip to Monaco, Christopher was arrested within days of their arrival in the principality that sits between the French and Italian Rivieras for an alleged assault.  According to court records first reported by AL.com, Alexis claimed her husband attacked her at the iconic Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo, when he allegedly 'violently' tore a necklace from her neck.  He was found guilty on charges of intentional violence against a spouse, and on June 5 was sentenced to 45 days in jail, per the reported court filings.  Following his arrest upon his return to the US, Christopher was released after posting bail, and he is due back in court in September.  Alexis has often shared snapshots of her life of luxury to her Instagram following, including lavish vacations, helicopter rides, private jets and expensive gifts.  Following reports of her husband's arrest this week, on Thursday Alexis shared a statement to her Instagram page addressing the allegations. She wrote, 'I am not from Alabama, and I never expected my life to unfold the way it has.' Following reports of her husband's arrest this week, on Thursday Alexis shared a statement to her Instagram page addressing the allegations she made 'All I ever wanted was a protective order for myself and my children. I am the only person who has lived my experience, and I can only speak to what I have personally endured.'  Alexis wrote that she 'hopes this case remains open and unsealed, so that my truth can be heard.' 'When this is over, I hope to leave and build a life somewhere I don't have to relive these memories every day,' she continued.  'No matter how this ends, one thing I have learned is that pain does not discriminate. It doesn't matter what you look like, what your job is, or what you post on the internet.'  The Daily Mail has contacted Alexis via social media, and Christopher Drummond's criminal attorney, Brett Bloomston, and his divorce attorney, Wendy Brooks Crew, for comment.