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Tattle: Bale arrested for alleged assault of relative
By Howard Gensler
Philadelphia Daily News
Daily News Tattle Columnist
Aug 06, 2008
YESTERDAY afternoon it appeared as if "Dark Knight" star Christian Bale was a Joker, allegedly arrested in London during a family spat. But as the day wore on, the events evoked less Gotham pity and more curiosity. Riddle me this, Batman.
Hours after his Bat-movie posted the biggest opening weekend box office numbers in history ($158.4 million), Bale, 34, spent four hours at a London police station answering questions about an alleged assault at the Dorchester Hotel Sunday night. The alleged complainants? Bale's mother and sister.
The alleged assailant? The Caped Crusader himself.
Holy family feud!
But Bale but was not charged with any wrongdoing and was released on bail.
His London-based law firm, Schillings, said Bale, issued a statement denying that an assault took place.
"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 London Sun reported Sharon and Jenny had made the complaint. Christian, who was born in Wales, has two additional older sisters, Erin and Louise Bale.
Asked yesterday whether the man who would be Batman had been arrested, a typically stiff-upper-lipped 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."
Police have not speculated whether the brooding actor is still plagued by PTSD from "The Machinist" (or, perhaps, "Newsies") but police 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 but fortunately they can reach him by flashing the Bat-signal.
The Sun said the oh-so-polite police did not question Bale Monday because they did not want to interfere with the European premiere of "The Dark Knight."
Bale, who starred in "American Psycho" and is the stepson of Gloria Steinem , needs to get the matter straightened out - he's due to begin filming "Terminator Salvation," this week in new Mexico. He's also been tapped to star as Robin Hood in Ridley Scott 's reimagining of "Nottingham" and as Maj. Steve Jacoby in the film adaptation of former Inquirer columnist Mark Bowden 's "Killing Pablo."
Pure as the driven snow
With Miley Cyrus now sporting a purity ring at the same time she's plugging her more mature new album and rumors are sprouting that she's interested in a coming-of-age movie role which may require nude scenes, we were reminded of the words of young, but wise, Allentown native, Amanda Seyfried , when we interviewed her last month for "Mamma Mia."
"Everybody knows that if they've had sex that sex is really important in life," she said on the purity ring issue. "I don't understand why publicists are making their clients lie for their young fans. Sex is a beautiful thing if you choose to see it as beautiful. Drugs are the problem. That's what screws everyone's world up."
So how about if tween starlets drop the purity ring nonsense and instead put on Tattle's "I Won't Be Reckless Ring" (patent pending).
By wearing our low-cost bauble, you won't have to swear off a rendezvous under the high school bleachers with your boyfriend, the possible airing of a photo of you dressing like a hooker with your girlfriends or the occasional bout of teenage idiocy that is part-and-parcel of being a teenager.
You will, however, have to swear off binge-drinking, heroin, ecstasy, cocaine, non-prescribed prescription meds, driving while impaired, the production of any sex tapes and any comments about Darfur, God, how much you have to say to your fans and whom you're endorsing for president. And you have to get at least a G.E.D.
Deal? Come on kids, it's a win-win!
Tattbits
"Boston Symphony Orchestra conductor James Levine is resting comfortably after doctors in New York removed his right kidney last week. The surgery followed the discovery of a malignant growth, which was causing the busy 65-year-old musician pressure and discomfort. Doctors believe the tumor was contained in the kidney and no further treatment is needed. Tattle sure hopes Levine's surgery was laparascopic.
" Robert Downey Jr. ("Iron Man," "Tropic Thunder") has postponed plans to write a memoir and has returned his advance to publisher HarperCollins, a spokeswoman for the actor told the Associated Press.
" Hillary Clinton 's chances of being Barack Obama 's running mate may have ended with a careless whisper Monday night at Madison Square Garden. The pairing was endorsed by the touring George Michael .
"The London Sun has racy pics of mopey pop star James Blunt , two babes and Philly native Gary Dourdan (formerly of "CSI") on holiday in Ibiza. Blunt and Dourdan are buds? Or did they merely bond over buds? *
Daily News wire service contributed to this report.
Send e-mail to gensleh@phillynews.com
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