In the aftermath of news that ‘Batman’ star, Christian Bale, allegedly assaulted his mother and sister in a hotel room, the actor’s future appears to ride on how forthright he is about the current allegations. We always advocate learning all the details before advising clients on steps to take, but in general we recommend he issues a “holding statement” that denies the assault (if in fact no assault took place); allude to no legal liability; and express concern and compassion for family members and fans who are upset by news related to the incident.However, if the news reports are correct, we have an especially touchy issue because it involves female loved ones and not a shoving match with an insensitive or predatory paparazzi. Mr. Bale’s criminal history (or lack thereof) would be noteworthy here. If this is the first time he is accused of a violent act, he can be more proactive in his future discussions and should appear in public expecting tough questions but being armed with reasonable explanations – again, the more forthcoming the better. If any history of violence surfaces, he better decide quickly how he will apologize and participate in an anger management program.
There can be variations of what he does depending on the details but he should take a lesson from football star Michael Vick and not seem to apologize for getting caught as opposed to a genuine apology for a mistake. He could then take actions to correct such behavior in the future and even help others as a role model on related issues.
What do you think? As always, we are interested in your comments.
.JPG){kind=small}