Sam Worthington has joined the proud ranks of celebrity paparazzi-punchers.
The star of “Avatar” and “Clash of the Titans” was taken into police custody Sunday evening after a confrontation with a paparazzo in a New York City bar, where he had been having a drink with girlfriend Lara Bingle.
Violence erupted after the photographer, Sheng Li, became aggressive in his attempts to take pictures of the couple; he allegedly kicked Bingle in the shins while trying to get the shot. Worthington retaliated by punching him in the face. (According to The Hollywood Reporter, the police report from the incident included a note that Worthington’s lady friend did, indeed, have a bruise on her leg.)
This isn’t the first brush with the law for Worthington, who was arrested in 2012 after scuffling with a doorman in Atlanta. Sunday’s incident, however, includes an interesting wrinkle: According to some reports, Worthington’s assault on Li was also accompanied by indignant shouts of “You kicked my wife!”, prompting renewed speculation as to whether Bingle and Worthington might have secretly gotten married. The pair were also spotted last week wearing what appeared to be wedding rings, though no official confirmation of the marriage has been forthcoming.
Li reportedly sustained injuries to his nose. Worthington was arrested and charged with assault, and is now out on bail. He will appear in court to answer the charges on February 26.
After spending 2013 ensconced in multiple projects and largely out of the spotlight, Worthington made headlines in January when it was confirmed that he had been tapped to appear in James Cameron’s trio of “Avatar” sequels. He can next be seen co-starring with Arnold Schwarzenegger and an ensemble cast of action stars in “Sabotage,” out in theaters March 28.
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