Update!

Orange Is the New Black Dascha Polanco Facing Assault Charges for Allegedly Punching Teenage Girl

Netflix star accused of physical confrontation with 17-year-old Michelle Cardona

By Bruna Nessif Mar 23, 2016 7:00 PMTags
Dascha PolancoMike Pont/WireImage

UPDATE: The District Attorney's Office has agreed to dismiss the case against Orange Is the New Black star Dascha Polanco

"It is clear to us that the so-called victim was motivated by the prospects of a payday. She devised a plan to have Ms. Polanco pay her to withdraw the charges, which was furthered by a campaign of harassment directed at Ms. Polanco and her family and jeopardized their safety," the actress' attorney said in a statement to E! News. "Fortunately, we had irrefutable evidence of the complainant's misdeeds on tape, including her extortion attempts, which was provided to the District Attorney's Office." 

The statement concluded, "Ms. Polanco is delighted to be able finally to put this matter behind her and refocus her energies on her family, and her career."

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It looks like legal troubles have spilled into Dascha Polanco's real life.

The Orange Is the New Black star appeared in Manhattan Criminal Court Thursday to face four counts of assault and harassment for allegedly assaulting a 17-year-old girl in July.

Michelle Cardona claims the 33-year-old actress punched her in the head, pulled her hair and used her fingernails to scratch up her arms, according to court documents obtained by Page Six, which first reported the news, while hanging out at Cardona's Upper Manhattan home.

E! News has reached out to Polanco's camp and the New York Police Department for comment.

Polanco has not addressed the situation, but her lawyer Gerald Lefcourt argues that Cardona's claim is just a plot to get money from the star and insists that his client was set up. "This is an attempt to extort money by making a false claim," Lefcourt told People.

"We expect the case to be dismissed."

Polanco's next court date is set for January.

(Originally published Thursday Dec 3, 2015 at 5:48 p.m. PST)

Watch: "Orange Is the New Black" Gets Big Shakeup in Season 3