Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) had no choice but to ask HBO head Chris Albrecht to resign following his arrest over the weekend for domestic violence.

If the world's largest media company had done nothing to Albrecht, it would have sent the message that what he was accused of doing wasn't a big deal when clearly it was quite serious. This isn't like the celebrities who get busted for drunk driving. They could have theoretically hurt someone. He actually is accused of hurting his girlfriend.

To be sure, Albrecht is a gifted executive who helped bring classic shows such as "The Sopranos," "Sex in the City" and "Deadwood" to the pay TV channel. HBO will not be the same without him, particularly as it looks for its next hit after the end of "The Sopranos."

Albrecht ran a business that was very important for Time Warner's bottom line. He is close to both Chief Executive Richard Parsons and President Jeffrey Bewkes.

But media reports indicate that he's got a volatile temper.

"His resignation comes on the same day that the Los Angeles Times reported that in 1991, HBO paid a settlement of at least $400,000 to a subordinate of Mr. Albrecht's, who contended that he tried to choke her during a confrontation in her office," according to the New York Times, which also confirmed the report. The woman involved in the incident had directly reported to Albrecht.

Let's hope that Albrecht gets his life straightened out and that his girlfriend gets the support she needs.

On Monday night, while watching the Oscar De La Hoya- Floyd Mayweather fight at the MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas, Chris Albrecht, the head of Time Warner Inc.'s (NYSE:TWX) HBO, made what he now says was a terrible decision. He concluded he could once again handle alcohol, after having been sober for the previous 13 years as a member of Alcoholics Anonymous.

By 3:00 a.m., Albrecht was in custody, charged with assaulting his girlfriend in the parking lot after the fight.

In a memo sent to HBO staff yesterday, Albrecht announced he is taking a leave of absence to work on his sobriety, the supposed culprit in this affair.

In what has become a wearyingly common sleight of hand, Albrecht's statement recasts what I see as the issue, violence against women, into a video reality, his fight against the wily arch villain Substance Abuse. It's the Mel Gibson defense - alcohol hates Jews, not me. The Michael Richards defense – alcohol hates African Americans, not me.

Ironically, one of HBO's major projects this season was the documentary The Science of Addiction, a 14-part series that began on March 15th. About the series, Albrecht said, "Our resources are committed to illuminating, demystifying and defining addiction-a problem that is riddled with misconceptions."

Evidently, the series is airing a bit too late.

Addendum: Thanks to MediaBistro for this link to an article about a previous, similar incident with Albrecht in 1991.