Christian Bale Arrested After Claims Of Assault By His Own Mother

BARCELONA, Spain — Christian Bale swept into Barcelona on Wednesday night to attend a glittering Spanish premiere of "The Dark Knight," appearing calm as he greeted fans a day after reports surfaced that his mother and sister had accused him of assault.

A 15-car motorcade delivered Bale and his co-stars to the red carpet, where the 34-year-old actor greeted hundreds of fans outside the city's Coliseum Theater. Bale spent half an hour signing autographs, looking relaxed in a tailored dark blue suit and asking each autograph seeker's name.

About 25 camera crews waited outside the theater. Bale did not speak to reporters and made no comment about the allegations that he assaulted his mother and one of his three sisters at a London hotel on Sunday.

The actor's wife, Sibi, smiling broadly, and actress Maggie Gyllenhaal stood by Bale as he attended to fans. Then the Welsh-born actor, who plays millionaire recluse Bruce Wayne and his bat winged alter-ego, entered the theater to watch the film.

"We expected some excitement but have truly been taken aback by all the media attention," Warner Bros. representative Gernot Dudda said.

Bale said through his lawyers the assault allegations were false Tuesday, hours after he was arrested, questioned by London police and released on bail. He spent four hours talking with authorities but was not charged.

British media reported that Bale's mother and sister told police he assaulted them at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Sunday night, a day before attending the European premiere of "The Dark Knight." The Sun newspaper said the complaint was filed by sister Sharon Bale and mother Jenny Bale.

Wednesday night outside the Coliseum's elegant baroque facade, built in 1923 and inspired by the Opera in Paris, bat lights flickered as fans dressed as The Joker waited to go in. Fellow actor Aaron Eckhart and director Christopher Nolan also spent time greeting fans and signing autographs.

Bale first made a splash as the child star of Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun" in 1987. His screen credits also include "American Psycho," "The Machinist" and "Batman Begins."

The film set a box-office record with $158.4 during its opening weekend in the U.S. last week.

___

Associated Press correspondent Paul Haven in Madrid contributed to this story.

___

Warner Bros. is a unit of Time Warner Inc.

Comments

[Tages72]

Anyone who's watched Bale's performances in Empire of the Sun, The Machinist, and American Psycho knows the man has one heck of an edge. Darker permormances I have yet to see from a modern actor. Even his role in The Prestige creeped me out a bit.

Excellent work, but I hope all that talent has no connection to whatever inner demons he could be tapping. There's been too much tragedy in Hollywood of this sort as it is.

I wish him well and hope all turns out good.

[ilovemydoggy]

He was also brilliant in "The New World" as John Rolfe the settler who married Pocahantas. Absolutely brilliant. He made the film.

[shengirl]

I agree, I loved him in that.

[vassyuta]

totes, he was soooo good in that.

[GetoffMylawn]

The Prestige is my favorite.

[Agentlady007]

Oh, I always admired yor liberal feminist stepmmother Gloria. Boy if walls could talk, I wonder what advice she gave you growing up.

Good Luck Batman. Loved you in Batman Begins. Can't wait to see the sequel.
Stay cool.

Agentlady007

[Cynth]

Steinem was married to Christian's father from 2000-2003, when he died. Christian was well into adulthood by the time she started seeing David Bale....

[rockyersocksoff]

And weren't they married by someone named Wilma Mankiller?

I love this family.

Oh, and Christian, "don't just STARE at it, EAT it!"

[Iscarius]

This is ridiculous. Just because the UK's totalitarian laws call yelling at someone "assault" this has become a news story. His mom insulted his wife, so he got mad and yelled her. Now it's a huge new story, it's gonna hurt his his Oscar chances, and everyone is playing psychologist? If you've never had a family fight in which you got mad and yelled at family member, throw the first stone. Otherwise, this whole story just needs to go away.

[RedDogBear]

The only thing I find interesting about this is the different reactions from people. On the one hand you have people with unresolved mother issues and star worshipers who already "know" that the mother was at fault, and are often kind enough to share details of their miserable child hood. On the other hand you have the "Hollywood is the source of all evil" crowd who immediately assume that the guy is guilty and that he is also a junkie, deviant, satan worshiper.
"OK, so if you think its all such a bunch of bollocks why are you even bothering to comment?" You might ask with good reason. I'm glad you asked. I would like to say that I find the whole HuffPo entertainment page to really be degenerating to a cross between People and The Star. I come here because I like reading reviews and commentary on films, music, etc. Especially independent, less commercial stuff. Maybe its my imagination but it seems like there used to be more of that. I wonder if anyone else is also tired of all the news about babies and bad behavior? Perhaps a new section on the arts might be in order.

[Aleka4]

Uh huh. You are like those guys who buy playboy "for the articles" right?

Nothing as funny as people who like their fair share of scurrilous gossip and rumor and scandal - but lack the self honesty to admit it. And they think they are fooling -someone- besides themselves when they feel compelled to post how they are above it all while utterly failing to note their own hypocrisy.

[truthyguy]

OK. All together now - let's all speculate at one time as to what did or did not happen to people we know nothing about. Then the winner with the best absurdity will go on Entertainment Tonight and report what they said as fact.

[LeaveArtieAlone]

Hey now, that sounds like what happens every night on the networks. :-)

[andvoodoo2]

test

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Nice headline.
Wha, no global warming?

[TheBlackCat]

Obviously this is unconfirmed, but the tabloids in Europe are starting to report that this arrest was for VERBAL assault, not physical. In the UK, it IS technically illegal to yell at someone, that is considered assault; just like how if you slap someone in the U.S. they technically can charge you with assault even though most people would not consider a slap in the face an arrestable offense.

Bale and his Mother have a rather strained relationship. He's never mentioned her by name but has said in various interviews that he was forced into acting as a child, and he is very much against parents making their children into child stars. When he was a teen he actually ran away at one point because he hated being in the spotlight at a young age.

So at this point, obviously, not all the facts are known, he may or may not be guilty of assault. And if he is guilty it may only be a verbal assault. But either way, I feel his mother is culpable, even if he DID assault them (not that he's NOT responsible, it's just her fault as well). If you're going to force your kid to enter Hollywood at a young age, you have YOURSELF to blame if they come out as mal adjusted adults!

[wm1066]

Interesting assessment, I think I agree.
I think anyone that can bite into a live snake,(Rescue Dawn) might have some issues.
If its his mother....who are we to judge how he deals with it.

[pibble]

Most people would consider a slap in the face an arrestable assault in the vast majority of situations.

[StephenJK]

Verbal Assault?! Is The Joker running law enforcement in the UK?

[MadJeffersonian]

Well, since Christian is a decent person and now a well-recognized, talented actor - as opposed to "flying under the radar", which he had previously done - it is time for the American press to tear him down. Leave the guy (and his family) alone.

[trollsbwild]

Yellow journalism at it's finest.
Marital problems from defending his wife against his mother? Quite a reach, eh?

No one is perfect, but according to all previous accounts prior to this alleged incident, CB seems to be a decent human being.

[Kevbo68]

I heard he wanted to show them he could make a pencil disappear. A late friend showed it to him.

[AryanMjolnir]

I'm telling you... he was possesed by the spirit of Patrick Bateman!

[AtomiClash]

In Britain, they have classes 4 and 5 assault which are tantamount to yelling at someone "with intent to alarm," or some similar nonsense. (In which case, I'm guilty about 1,000 times over.) Chances are, he just yelled at them and they're being weenies about it.
Leave the poor guy alone, he's a rare talent and seems even rarer still in that he's managed to have a successful career and avoid the pitfalls of Hollywood.

[GhostNyc]

YES....THIS MUST BE CONTINUALLY SAID.

The American MSM is having a field day with this story and practically NONE of them have mentioned that in the U.K there are varying degrees of assualt which include VERBAL (aka NON-PHYSICAL) assault.

Furthermore the story is that his mother was insulting his wife and Christian was reacting in her defense.

[rockyersocksoff]

"In Britain, they have classes 4 and 5 assault which are tantamount to yelling at someone "with intent to alarm,"

Jesus, this sounds like a Monty Python sketch waiting to happen.

[Davee1]

What is truly disturbing about this story, is that not once did it mention that he was questioned for VERBAL assault, NOT physical. In England, verbal assault is a crime. Let's also wait until the facts are in, and not just vague allegations before reporting this as news (if it ever SHOULD be considered news.)

[racetoinfinity]

In England verbal assualt is a crime?? I assume it's a light misdemeanodor, but whatever it is, it should not be a crime at all. That's an abridgement of free speech.

[andvoodoo2]

It's England, not the U.S.A.. The rest of the world doesn't have the same laws we do. Case in point: You can buy and smoke weed in a coffee shop in Amsterdam.

[TheBlackCat]

Most nations don't have free speech, that is a very American trait. For instance in most nations in Europe it is ILLEGAL to be a neo nazi or to deny the holocaust. Here you are considered a scumbag, but you're not going to be ARRESTED for saying that the holocaust never happened.

As someone who lives in Amsterdam and Boston, there are many things I like more about Europe. But I definately apreciate America's free speech policy, even if it results in very offensive individuals (like neo nazis) spewing their filth. I agree with "I may not like what you have to say, but i'll defend to the death your right to say it."

[marzipan]

Doesn't the US have slander and libel laws? Speech has levels of restraint in all countries.

[TomInJax]

Jesus. Then I am so going to jail if I step foot in the UK.

[StephenBarry]

If his mother is similar to mine, I would'nt judge him too harshly. I'm sure Mom and Sis may have some resentment of his success and probably said a few choice things.

[avraamjack]

.
If this was America the jealous family would have joined a gang stalker group and had him poisoned.
.
It is the AMERICAN WAY .
.
Police cannot be bothered.
.
It is a shame the media feel that people who earn their living in front of a camera have no right to privacy.
.
Yesterday I got a porn spam that said "See Angela Jolie naked". Fame must suck.
.