|
THE TIMES OF LONDON LONDON, ENGLAND Christian Bale is suspected of having assaulted two members of his family Nico Hines Christian Bale, the actor who plays Batman, was arrested today for allegedly assaulting his own mother and sister before last night’s premiere of The Dark Knight. The Welsh-born actor was questioned at a central London police station today over the incident which is thought to have taken place in his Dorchester Hotel suite on Sunday night. Bale’s mother and sister, Jenny, 61, and Sharon, 40, made a formal complaint against the Hollywood actor yesterday. The two women, who live in Dorset, went to a Hampshire police station to make their allegations. The complaint was then passed to the Metropolitan Police for further investigation. A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: “A 34-year-old man attended a Central London police station this morning and was arrested in connection with an allegation of assault.” Bale is alleged to have lashed out in the Park Lane hotel two days ago but police allowed him to attend the European premiere of the latest instalment of the Batman films in Leicester Square last night. The actor, who also starred in American Psycho and Empire Of The Sun, joined co-stars Sir Michael Caine, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Aaron Eckhart on the red carpet. This morning he voluntarily attended Belgravia police station, where he was arrested and questioned for four hours before he was released on bail. The new Batman film, which contains the final complete performance by Heath Ledger, has already attracted huge interest after glowing reviews and a record opening weekend in the US . The 28-year-old Australian actor gave an Oscar-tipped performance as The Joker before he died from an accidental drugs overdose in January.
WIRES LONDON 
PHOTO: July 21: British actor Christian Bale arrives for the European Premiere of 'The Dark Knight', in central London. Christian Bale on Tuesday denied allegations of assault made by his mother and sister, hours after the star of "The Dark Knight" was arrested, questioned by London police and released. The 34-year-old actor spent four hours at a police station, but was not charged and was released on bail. British media reported that Bale's mother and sister complained he had assaulted them at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Sunday night, a day before the European premiere of "The Dark Knight." Bale's London-based law firm, Schillings said Bale, issued a statement denying that an assault took place. Photo Essay: London 'Dark Knight' Premiere Photo Essay: Christian Bale Photo Essay: U.S. 'Dark Knight' Premiere Photo Essay: Heath Ledger as the Joker "Christian Bale attended a London police station today on a voluntary basis," the statement read. "Bale, who denies the allegation, cooperated throughout, gave his account in full of the events in question, and has left the station without any charge being made against him by the police." A woman thought to be Bale's sister Sharon told reporters "it's a family matter" from her home in Corfe Mullen, 110 miles southwest of London. A man who answered the door at the home of his mother Jenny Bale in nearby Bournemouth said she did not want to comment. The Sun newspaper said Sharon and Jenny Bale had made the complaint. Bale, who was born in Wales, has three older sisters: Erin, Sharon, and Louise Bale. The reports surface just days after "The Dark Knight," which co-stars the late Heath Ledger as Batman's nemesis the Joker, took a record $158.4 million at the box office in its opening weekend. Asked Tuesday whether Bale had been arrested, a London police spokesman did not refer to him by name but said: "A 34-year-old man attended a central London police station this morning by appointment and was arrested in connection with an allegation of assault." The spokesman requested anonymity because he is not authorized to be identified under police policy. British police do not name suspects who have not been formally charged. The force later said in a statement that the man had been released on bail pending further inquiries and told to return in September. It did not specify the date. The Sun said police did not question the actor Monday because they did not want to interfere with the premiere of the movie, in which he stars as the vigilante crime fighter. The next scheduled stops on the film's European premiere tour were Madrid, Spain, July 23; and Tokyo on July 28. Bale first made a splash as the child star of Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun" in 1987 and as an adult has made his name with intense screen roles. His films include "American Psycho," "The Machinist" and "Batman Begins." In "The Dark Knight," Bale reprises the role of wealthy playboy Bruce Wayne and his crime-fighting alter-ego Batman, a brooding vigilante superhero still scarred by the murder of his parents. Bale is also the stepson of author and feminist leader Gloria Steinem. Her assistant said Tuesday that she's at a writing retreat and was unavailable for comment. Bale's current project is playing John Connor in "Terminator Salvation," scheduled for filming this week in New Mexico. The film "will continue to shoot with Mr. Bale when he has completed his International tour for 'The Dark Knight,"' said Lee Anne Muldoon, unit publicist for the movie. A records check turned up no criminal record for Bale in the Los Angeles area, where he's lived with his wife, Sibi Blazic, and their young daughter.
|
Products In Action
