Is 'Batman' a Bad Man?

LONDON, July 22, 2008 — -- Batman star Christian Bale was arrested today for allegedly assaulting his mother and sister, according to reports in the British media.

Scotland Yard declined to confirm the reports, but a spokesman told ABCNews.com that "a 34-year-old man was arrested in connection with allegations of assault. He currently remains in custody at a central London police station."

The Press Association reported that the actor, 34, was questioned by police at a central London police station. He was reportedly released from the Belgravia precinct station this afternoon with a 10-man police escort, in a blacked-out silver Mercedes people carrier.

Bale was allegedly arrested after attacking his mother and sister in his suite at London's Dorchester Hotel Sunday, according to the British wire service.

Bale's lawyers released a statement to reporters saying the actor complied with the investigation.

"Christian Bale attended a London police station today, on a voluntary basis, in order to assist with an allegation that had been made against him to the police by his mother and sister," Bale's lawyers said in the statement. "Mr. Bale, who denies the allegation, cooperated throughout, gave his account in full of the events in question, and has left the station without any charge being made against him by the police. At this time, there will be no further comment by Mr. Bale."

The Dorchester Hotel's public relations representative, Brett Perkins, refused to confirm the reports, telling ABCNews.com that "we have a hotel policy of never commenting on guests, so we cannot confirm these reports."

Bale was reportedly arrested hours after attending the London premiere of his film "The Dark Knight," with co-stars Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart and Michael Caine.

The UK's Sun newspaper reported that detectives allowed the actor to attend the premiere, despite the complaint lodged against him.

"It was a very difficult situation but it would have been wrong to have wrecked the premiere over a complaint, which we don't yet know is founded in truth," a source told the Sun.

Bale's mother Jenny, 60, and sister Sharon, 41, live in Dorset, England, and are reported to have made the complaint to a police station in Hampshire. A spokesman from Hampshire police told ABCNews.com that "we cannot confirm anything."

A senior executive at Warner Brothers, which produced "The Dark Knight," told ABC News that this was a personal matter and the studio would have no comment on it.

For his part, the statement released by Bale's lawyers said that he left the police station "without any charge being made against him."

Bale's reported arrest is only the most recent in a long string of controversies surrounding the latest Batman installment.

In January, Bale's co-star, 28-year-old actor Heath Ledger, was found dead after an accidental drug overdose.

Last September, a special-effects technician was killed during a stunt car accident on the film's set.

None of this has dented the film's box-office fate: "The Dark Knight" had a record-setting opening weekend in the United States.

Bale was born in Wales, Great Britain, and spent his childhood in a variety of countries, including the United States and Portugal. His father, the late David Bale, married American feminist Gloria Steinem late in his life.

Bale made his big-screen debut in Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun" at age 13. Since then, he has acted in several movies, including "American Psycho," "The Machinist" and "Batman Begins."

Sheila Marikar contributed to this report.