Brad Pitt Says Red Carpet Attack Makes Celebs Wary
Brad Pitt, who was punched by a man at the premiere of "Maleficent" last week, says incidents like this make celebrities more wary about interacting with fans.
"I don't mind an exhibitionist," Pitt told People Monday. "But if this guy keeps it up he's going to spoil it for the fans who have waited up all night for an autograph or a selfie, because it will make people more wary to approach a crowd. And he should know, if he tries to look up a woman's dress again, he's going to get stomped."
Ukranian ex-journalist Vitalii Sediuk got around a police barrier to attack the actor on the receiving line. Sediuk was arrested, spent two days in jail, then pled no contest to battery and unlawful activity at a sporting or entertainment event. A judge gave him three years of probation and a year's worth of psychiatric counseling on Friday.
PITT ATTACKED AT MOVIE PREMIER
Sediuk is well-known for his stunts. He recently tried to climb under America Ferrera's dress on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival. He also crashed Adele's Grammy win in 2013, storming the stage after she was announced the winner of best pop solo performance. He also famously tried to kiss Will Smith a year earlier.
Pitt told People what happened at the premiere: "I was at the end of the line signing autographs, when out the corner of my eye I saw someone stage-diving over the barrier at me. I took a step back; this guy had latched onto my lapels. I looked down and the nutter was trying to bury his face in my crotch, so I cracked him twice in the back of the head - not too hard - but enough to get his attention, because he did let go. I think he was then just grabbing for a hand hold because the guys were on him, and he reached up and caught my glasses."