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Thursday
24Jul2008

Christian Bale: Temper, Temper

Surely, this was the most unusual movie related story of the week: Christian Bale, during The Dark Knight's unprecedented box office blitzkrieg, arrested for assaulting his mother and sister. Now we're finding out more, both about the incident and other instances in which Bale's temper may have gotten the best of him.

The New York Daily News reports that Bale's older sister, Sharon, allegedly asked the star for $200,000 so she could raise her three children a little easier. But the story goes that Bale refused the offer to hand over the loot and the fight broke out over that.

During that fight, and here's where it gets murky for Christian, he is accused of pushing and shoving Sharon and their mother, who is 61. Now, according to source close to the case, Bale was provoked when his mother began insulting the actor's wife, Sandra Sibi Blazic.

What in the hell is going on here?

Before you think Bale is completely blameless and that he's just the target of freeloading relatives, which could be entirely possible, it's also been reported that two days before the incident, Bale was part of another controversy on the set of Terminator Salvation. Though sources on the set blame this incident on Bale's understandable exhaustion, TMZ reports he was so angry at cinematographer Shane Hurlbut over a shot that was messed up that he loudly threatened to kick the poor guy's ass, while hundreds of onlookers absorbed the scene. That's the story, anyway. Tensions run high on movie sets, and who knows how much of this is accurate and how much is painted to make Bale look like Mel Gibson, especially in light of the criminal charges stemming from the other dust-up.

But Bale himself has been quoted from an earlier interview describing his moments of ill temper:

"Everyone loses their shit on occasions, don't they? Like, ‘Oh God, what demon possessed me to do that?' My wife gets to live with a variety of men. Some of them she likes, some of them she doesn't. There are ones people like and others that they say, ‘Man we're glad you're finished with that project. You were an asshole'."

Perhaps he should have been The Incredible Hulk instead of Batman, then. Suffice it to say, Bale's sister didn't get her money, and if I were you, I wouldn't ask him for a handout anytime soon, either. More than likely, all these stories are being blown out of proportion; Bale doesn't have a history of being a tyrant that we know of. Let's just hope for everyone's sake that cooler heads prevail. He's too good of an actor to let idle chatter bring him down.

Reader Comments (46)

He s right get your own money freeloading sis

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered Commenteraustin

I hate these so called journalists or bloggers making judgements on things they don't know or understand. Who gives a s**t? Leave the man alone and focus on the craft.

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterWho cares?

He's an aquarious. Moodiness is our life. Perfection is our game. Nothing more to be said on this. He is who he is.

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterFellow Aquarian

Brainless speculation at its very best. Good job there, fella.

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterBanquo Jones

dont get kids before you can support them GOD DAMNIT..

Hatar alla jävla drägg i världen som inte fattar logik.

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterDon Svenne

C'mon so wat if Christian has problems with his mother and sister. I figured it was provoked anyway. But nevertheless, that's the man's business. And I don't think of him any less the man that I expect to see give total professionalism in anything he does.

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJoKeR

Short of killing someone, and maybe even then, I would still see his movies.

and 200K to help raise kids, I find it hard to believe anyone who scores 200K will spend it all on there children.

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterOrinn

This situation is completely blown out of proportion. Leave it be. Other so- called celebrities deserve this treatment, not talented actors like Bale.

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterbuzz_kill

Listen, everyone has problems and then the crappy shows like E T and TMZ blow it out of proportion. Bale is awesome he seems like a very down to earth average kind of guy and people are allowed to get mad.

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJared Christman

"He was so angry at cinematographer Shane Hurlbut over a shot that was messed up that he loudly threatened to kick the poor guy's ass." Classic media spin. Obviously people lesser than Batman are irate over its success and want to damn the thing as best as they can, so they demean its star Christian Bale by tapping into his private life and creating sympathy for his enemies. This is no different than how Oswald Cobblepot(The Penguin) essentially frames Batman in "Batman Returns!" The cinematographer is referred to as 'the poor guy' in this article. Have you ever worked on a movie set mister anonymous writer? Well luckily I have, and the cinematogrpaher is most certainly the furthest thing from the 'poor guy' on set. In fact, cinematographers are usually the most snobby, demanding, egotistical, narcissistic employees of a film production. Good work though, you tried fooling the dumb ones!!!

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterRock Hogan

So, I guess that they stopped being family now that Christian is famous?

It's wrong to ask for money, double wrong to refuse to give it and triple wrong to beat your female family members.

Family is all you got, Chris. Fame and fortune comes and goes but you can never replace your family members once they are gone.

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterHenry Oak

I am so glad to see that no one here so far has taken a negative view of Mr. Bale, other than the writer of the article, of coarse. Before something like this is even written, the facts should be precise about what really happened - but as it is - he "stands accused." I have been a fan of his since he starred in The Prestige and I refuse to think
ill of him. Christian, keep up the good work. i wish you luck on future endeavors.

And to whoever runs this sight...you may want to look at your borders. It may be my browser, but words are getting cut off left and right., well, mainly right.

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterMichelle Lopez

I did.

I think it's wrong to refuse money to your flesh and blood and to hit them.

Don't confuse the man and the role. Bad people may be good actors. And vice versa.

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterHenry Oak

uhm f.y.i i think everyone should leave christian alone. its annoying how hes all over the news for an accidental fight with his family but is never on the news for what a great he is. im sure half of you dont even know that he's incredibly smart and is very active in many organizations which some people are to lazy to eve join. so i think we should be following his career not court dates.

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterMaggie Franco

okay so i made some spelling errors...

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterMaggie Franco

and grammatical errors. so shove offf.

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterMaggie Franco

I can't believe there are people who think he should give his sister the money... Give it to her for what, exactly? The hard work she did to earn it? The numerous hours she spent away from family while filming complicated and demanding movies? The money she invested and time she invested in his movie projects? Or is the rationale that her being his sister earns her 200k? That she happens to be related to somebody who is rich earns her a salary above most US families?

Riiiight.

He's been estranged from is mom and that sister for over a decade. Bale doesn't have to give her the time of day, much less 200k.

The fact that mom and sister go beg for money and then try to have him arrested at his premiere because they got into a shouting match just goes to show what selfish deviants they are.

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJDR

OK i cannot put up with this anymore. it doesnt matter what the media says or what bale says for what his "victims" say because it isnt the absolute truth. media will spin anything into a scandal and the parties directly involved will twist it however slightly to their favor. so PLEASE stop with; oh my god he's got a temper~ or he's a great actor! he cant do that!!. coz we'll never know what really happened! oh and if he actually went bonkers and struck out he would actually be CHARGED with assault, not just questioned. so i say innoncent till proven otherwise

p.s family is something you cant define. its different for everyone. we dont know the dynamics of their relationships so shush saying "ITS FAMILY! HE MUST GIVE THE MONEY!!!"

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterJosh.J

I don't know who wrote this, but whoever you are mate,
you gotta learn how to shut the fuck up. By writing this article,
you actually tried your best to present Christian Bale with a negative
point of view. WHY?! has he done something to you? I doubt it.
This kind of shit can happen to anyone. He was provoked, obviously.
This article is simply dumb because it's based on rumors.. what's the fucking point? shit if I were him I would probably be just as angry,
especially because he doesn't have any privacy. It's between him and his family.

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterNick M

oh and another thing.. 200k? TO RAISE THE KIDS? shit.
that's obviously the funniest bullshit I've ever heard.
Picture yourself in his position. wouldn't you get mad?
I'm not trying to be over protective here or some shit like that..
but she could also be an alcoholic or a junkie or simply a shitty person.
you don't know, and you won't.. so like I said before, shut up.

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterNick M

maybe he knows his sister would never repay him and family might be all you have but some family members are worthless and dont deservea free ride. and he was right to defend his wife but he should have walked away, and not shoved anyone.

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterwinne

i agree that it was very tacky of them to ask for money at the premeir too.

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Unregistered Commenterwinne

Nick,

If you can point out anything in the article where I paint Bale in a bad light as opposed to condensing the week's worth of stories into one narrative, then you've got me. Especially that part about "More than likely, all these stories are being blown out of proportion." That really sounds like I'm going after him.

I didn't create these stories. We wrote about the arrest when it happened, which itself was just hours after we published a rather glowing review of his work as an actor, listing his five best performances. So, no, I'm not attacking Christian Bale any more than I attacked Andy Dick when he got arrested. OK, in fairness, I really attacked Andy Dick.

But if you feel I'm being inaccurate in reporting the specifics of these stories, please illustrate it. Interestingly, your central tenet, "He was provoked, obviously," has yet to be determined. It's more subjective than anything you think I've written. And your follow-up, which infers that Bale's sister could be an addict, is based on absolutely nothing, and in fact, would be libel if worded more strongly. More than that and more to the point, however, it undermines your entire position as being somehow above the fray.

Friday, July 25, 2008 | Registered CommenterColin Boyd

It's a story, we don't and will never know the truth. Personally family is different to everybody. It could be a dog, a sister or the guy who was arrested with you in college when you streaked.

Either none of our business, shit happens to everybody. I can totally understand why the man is a quiet as he is. Who needs to put up with this kind of crap.

Go see Batman and leave his personal life his.

Saturday, July 26, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterVeresolem

Well, two thousand years ago a great man said that you should give to those who ask and not turn your back on those who want to borrow from you.

I don't think it was tasteful to ask for money from Bale on his big night, but no good man turns his back on his family and only a maniac beats his mother and sister.

The Law requires us to honour our father and mother, which certainly entails not beating them up.

We all fall short of perfect, but I am amazed that you kids think that Bale's behaviour is ok.

Saturday, July 26, 2008 | Unregistered CommenterHenry Oak

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