Brooke Shields Staying Silent About Kiefer Sutherland's Alleged Head-Butt

May 14, 2009 — -- Brooke Shields is staying silent about what happened the night Kiefer Sutherland allegedly head-butted fashion designer Jack McCollough.

On ABC's "The View" Thursday, Shields refused to talk about the May 4 incident, which occured outside a New York City nightclub following the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Gala, saying "Right now it's all in the hands of the authorities. ... I'm bound to not say anything."

Asked how she felt about being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Shields said that wasn't the way she felt about the night at all. The actress, who has two daughters, said that being a mom and being out at 2 a.m. just "made me feel really cool."

But Shields did step up to Sutherland's defense earlier this week, when her attorney, Gerald Lefcourt, issued a statement saying, "While at the party Brooke was bumped into by Jack McCollough, and Kiefer Sutherland became concerned. Kiefer has always been a gentleman in her company."

Sutherland's reps are confident that a police investigation will prove he "was neither the instigator nor a wrongdoer in this incident." The "24" star was charged with misdemeanor assault after going into a New York City police station for questioning last Thursday. He was given a ticket, ordered to appear in court June 22 and released.

Last Wednesday, a representative for McCollough told People magazine, "Anyone who knows Jack McCollough knows that he would not hurt a fly. All we can say at this point is that he was the victim of a vicious, violent, unprovoked assault and that the matter is in the hands of the authorities."

Friday, the rep added that McCollough suffered a broken nose as a result of the alleged attack.

Some reports claim McCollough bumped into Shields outside the nightclub, didn't apologize, and thus caused Sutherland to fly off the handle.

Sutherland could face tough punishment in Los Angeles, where he's in the middle of a five-year probation for a DUI conviction whose terms clearly state he must "obey all laws."

Sutherland's Legal Drama

Breaking probation could mean a return to jail. In late 2007 and early 2008, Sutherland spent 48 days in jail for his second DUI conviction and a probation violation.

The alleged head-butting incident is the latest of Sutherland's many run-ins with the law. His first occurred in 1989, when he was arrested for DUI and carrying a concealed and loaded weapon. In a deal with prosecutors, Sutherland pleaded no contest to alcohol-related reckless driving, and the other charges were dropped.

In 1993, he was arrested again for DUI, and pleaded out the same way he did four years earlier. He also performed more than 200 hours of community service.

Sutherland racked up his third DUI arrest in 2004, pleaded no contest, and was sentenced to five years' probation. His 2007 DUI arrest violated the terms of that probation.

More jail time could spell doom for Sutherland's career and "24." The eighth season of the Fox drama is set to start production at the end of May. Season seven was delayed because of the Hollywood writers strike, which took "24" off the air for a full year.

As often happens in "24," the clock is ticking. Sutherland's going to have to pull some Jack Bauer-type moves to maneuver his way out of this latest mess.