In March 2025, former television writer Christopher Ambrose filed a federal defamation lawsuit against Dr. Bandy X. Lee, a psychiatrist and author. Ambrose claims Lee defamed him by publicly accusing him of child abuse.

Lee previously said her application of the Hare Psychopathy Checklist scored Ambrose 32 out of 40—two points above the clinical threshold for psychopathy.

Attempt to Waive Court Fees

Seeking to avoid a $405 filing fee, Ambrose applied to the court to proceed in forma pauperis (IFP). Federal law allows waivers of filing fees if paying would cause hardship. To qualify, applicants must disclose their finances under oath. A false affidavit requires dismissal under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(A) and possible referral for perjury charges.

Ambrose asked to seal his affidavit, but the judge refused, ruling the public has a right to examine such claims.

Affidavit Filed March 16

Ambrose’s March 16 affidavit, now public, includes:

“I am not employed. My gross pay or wages are: $0.00. My take-home pay or wages are: $0.00….

“I have been unemployed for three years and unable to find work. I support the kids and myself by invading my modest 401(k), already depleted by enormous divorce expenses. My kids and I are on Medicaid (Husky Health). I just learned I am eligible for SNAP.”

Under “dependents,” Ambrose stated:

“I have sole legal and physical custody of our three children: our younger son, SA, is 14; our older son, Matthew, and daughter, Mia, are 18 but full-time high school students. I provide all their financial support.”

Christopher Ambrose Affidavit Lies: Reported Expenses

Ambrose reported his monthly expenses:

Rent: $2,450
Utilities: $750
Groceries: $750
Car Insurance: $221.37
Cell Phones: $132 (for “four lines”)
Credit Card (Visa): $440/month (on a balance of $21,954.64)

Christopher Ambrose Affidavit Lies: Declared Assets

He declared that he had:

$294.98 in cash or bank accounts.
A 2015 Audi Q5, which he said had a value of $4,539 based on Kelly’s Blue Book.
Household furniture, valued at about $3,000.
He reported owning no stocks, bonds, art, jewelry, or anything else of financial value.

At the bottom of the form:

“I declare under penalty of perjury that the above information is true and understand that a false statement may result in dismissal of my claims.”
Signed: Christopher Ambrose
Date: March 16, 2025

Christopher Ambrose Affidavit Lies: Rent Discrepancy

In his affidavit, Ambrose reported paying $2,450 per month in rent. He lists his residence as 153 Middle Beach Road in Madison, Connecticut—a four-bedroom, two-bath home on Fence Creek estuary, across from East Wharf Beach Park on Long Island Sound. Real estate site Redfin estimates the property’s market value at about $2.26 million.

A 2024 online listing advertised the Middle Beach Road property at $3,750 per month. Frank Report obtained a copy of the lease signed by Ambrose, confirming the $3,750 rent —$1,350 more than the $2,450 Ambrose reported in his affidavit.

Dependent Claims

In his March affidavit, Ambrose listed his daughter Mia, 18, as a dependent and full-time high school student. But Mia told Frank Report she left his home in July 2024, lives in another state without his support, and is no longer in school.

Ambrose reported that his son Matthew, 18, was still in high school. Records show Matthew formally withdrew on March 12, four days before the affidavit.

SNAP Filing

In his March 16 affidavit, Ambrose wrote, “I just learned I am eligible for SNAP.” Yet state electronic benefit records show he had been receiving SNAP benefits since December 2024.
Ambrose listed $750 in grocery costs but did not disclose SNAP. He reported a four-person household to the federal court, including Mia, who says she does not live with him. Whether counted as three or four, the SNAP benefit would exceed his stated grocery costs.

More significantly, Mia has contacted the Connecticut Department of Social Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General to investigate whether her father fraudulently listed her as part of his household on his SNAP application. If confirmed, misrepresentation on federal benefits forms can carry both civil and criminal penalties.

Christopher Ambrose Affidavit Lies: Cell Phone Claims

Ambrose reported paying $132 for four phone lines. But billing records show he canceled his children’s lines in 2023, with relatives now paying for their three phones. He did not clarify which four lines he was referring to.

Christopher Ambrose Affidavit Lies: Car Valuation

Ambrose valued his 2015 Audi Q5 at $4,539 — a low-end trade-in figure. Fair-market estimates run from $7,000 to $11,000, meaning his affidavit understated the car’s value by roughly 35 to 60 percent.

Christopher Ambrose Affidavit Lies: Assets and Accounts

Ambrose wrote that he had had zero income and that he was “invading [his] modest 401(k).” He did not report a balance on his account. He also did not report the withdrawals from his retirement accounts as income as required by federal law.

Family court records, however, show he assumed control of joint assets and moved funds into various Fidelity Investments accounts.
Records reviewed by Frank Report reveal he is managing more than one account and employs advanced strategies like stock/bond allocation, tax-loss harvesting, and legacy planning — consistent with a seven-figure retirement and not a single account.

Christopher Ambrose Affidavit Lies: Inheritance Omitted

Ambrose also did not disclose an expected inheritance of about $800,000 from his parents’ $2.5 million estate, now in probate. Court filings show he is suing his brothers, Neil and Colin Amborse, over access to a Fidelity account and proceeds from the family home. Federal courts generally consider a pending inheritance a financial resource that Ambrose must report.

Multiple Inconsistencies

Court filings reveal multiple inconsistencies: understated rent, SNAP benefits undisclosed, dependents misrepresented, a car undervalued, retirement assets blurred, and an inheritance omitted. If the court finds Ambrose’s affidavit materially untrue, it must dismiss his case under 28 U.S.C. § 1915(e)(2)(A) and may impose further sanctions. His defamation suit against Dr. Lee may hinge less on her words than on the accuracy of his own.

What will U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala have to say about Mr. Ambrose’s dishonesty?

To Chris, whose reality is a laptop computer and the fantasy world he creates with his mind, his “exaggerations” are no big deal.

Back in reality, swearing to and filing false documents in federal court and lying to a federal judge are serious crimes.