Sam Worthington arrested for assaulting paparazzi

Actor Sam Worthington, best known for his leading role in the 2009 blockbuster Avatar, has been arrested for the second time. PHOTO: FILE

Avatar star Sam Worthington has been arrested in Manhattan for allegedly assaulting a photographer. The 37-year-old star has been charged with assault after he attacked a paparazzo who allegedly kicked his girlfriend, model Lara Bingle, at the Cubbyhole bar in West Village.

New York Police Department Lieutenant John Grimpel confirmed Worthington’s arrest Monday. “The photographer kicked Lara and then Worthington punched him, causing the photographer to have lacerations to his nose. He has been charged with assault. He punched the photographer,” Grimpel said. Worthington was released on bail but will appear in court on Wednesday. The photographer was also arrested and charged with assault, reckless endangerment and harassment. In footage of the incident, Worthington is seen asking police if they are familiar with the movie Avatar before being guided into a police car. The footage also shows his girlfriend Lara Bingle, who Worthington refers to as his wife, attempting to grab the photographer’s camera before Worthington intervenes. The couple then confront a growing pack of onlookers, the footage obtained by Channel 9.

Bingle and Worthington flew to New York this month for fashion week, but there are reports that the pair is likely to stay long-term. Bingle told a Woman’s Day photographer last month that she wanted to quit Australia for good because Worthington hates the paparazzi. The duo started dating in September last year and has spent a lot of time travelling to places including Paris, the Maldives and Western Australia.

This is the second time Worthington has been arrested. He was charged with disorderly conduct when he was denied entry to a restaurant in Atlanta in 2012, but charges were later dismissed. He apparently got into an argument with the doorman, after being refused entry because he was “intoxicated” and lacked proper identification. TMZ reported that witnesses saw Worthington push the doorman twice, before the doorman sprayed him with capsicum spray, reported CNN.