Even after Christian Bale’s seemingly earnest apology for his profanity-filled rant, the rant is still being discussed, both good and bad. Bale’s Terminator Salvation director McG told fans at Comic Con that he understood Bale’s blow-up. However, Bale’s sister is taking the same “oh, I’m so worried about him” passive-aggressive route her mother took.
McG told fans that Bale’s tirade was “just one of those moments”. I tend to think of a bad moment as yelling “Up yours!” at another driver, not a five-minute long, profanity-filled freak-out, but that’s apparently just me. McG claims that Bale and Shane Hurlbut (the lighting guy) are friends now, having buried the hatchet months ago. People has more:
Though Christian Bale himself called his F-bomb outburst on the Terminator Salvation set “inexcusable,” the film’s director is coming to the star’s defense.
“The film set is a passionate place, and it happens,” McG told fans at a Warner Bros. preview panel at New York Comic Con on Saturday. “There was no version of, ‘Oh, Christian is going to whip his ass.’ It was just sort of a blowup,”
“We let it run its course, and it did. You obviously only get to hear the explicit parts,” he said.
Bale verbally bashed the film’s director of photography, Shane Hurlbut, after he accidentally entered the actor’s sight lines during filming.
The audiotape quickly went viral, sparking mixed reactions, but the on-set drama ended that day, McG insists.
“Christian has taken responsibility for the way he acted. It’s a matter of fact that he and Shane are buddies. We finished the movie together. We did some additional photography about a month ago,” he told the packed auditorium at Manhattan’s Jacob Javits Center.
“It was just one of those moments. I think I can speak on all of our behalf that we’ve all gotten a little fired up. And if anybody would take that moment and take it out of context, it would seem very, very strange.”
The director is getting a bit of a chuckle out of it, though, admitting he’s seen some of the online fodder. “That remix is pretty hot,” McG said to uproarious applause.
From People Magazine
The remix is pretty good. I’m a bigger fan of the Christian Bale-screams-at-Bill-O’Reilly (link leads to video) version, where they mix together Bale’s tirade with O’Reilly’s “we’ll do it live!” nonsense.
A few days after the Bale tape was released, his mother spoke out. Many commenters found her “he’s so angry, now you understand” stuff a little bit much. It would have been classier if his mother hadn’t commented on it, I agree. Even if he had a world-class freak-out that had the potential to do serious damage to his career, it would have been nice if every one of his family members had decided that this would be the week they would not pile on. However, his sister Sharon was not content to allow just Christian and their mother get attention – she had to chime in and diagnose him too.
“It’s terribly sad,” [Sharon Bale] says from her house in Dorset. “I feel for him. He seems to be incredibly stressed and angry at the moment. This sort of behaviour is totally out of character and I think he might need help.” Last summer, Bale, who starred as Batman in The Dark Knight, was arrested and questioned for several hours after an alleged assault on Sharon and their mother, Jenny. The Crown Prosecution Service subsequently announced that he would not face any charges due to insufficient evidence.
His mother says: “People might now realise that is his temper: they might understand a bit more. I wish he hadn’t carried this on so long or so fiercely. It was upsetting to hear him.” Sharon adds: “He’s normally a placid guy, but he has done film after film. He just needs time out.”
From The Sunday Telegraph
I actually agree that Christian might benefit from an anger management class, or perhaps some… water therapy, maybe? But it really does seem like even Bale’s family is piling on, kicking him when he’s down. And the whole idea of a sister telling her adult brother that needs a “time out” reeks of sanctimony. Even if Bale’s freak-out reminded some of a childish temper tantrum, for God’s sake, don’t wake the beast!
Christian Bale is shown outside of the Dorchester hotel in London on 7/22/08. Credit: WENN
Ok, his family obviously doesnt know the meaning of ” blood thicker than water”.
These two (mother & daughter) are sickening. So passive/aggressive. There’s plainly no relationship there at all. His mother and sister showed themselves to be on the make last year and have done nothing since to suggest any different.
Whatever I might think of Bale, these two leeches need to quit trying to ride on his fame.
Why is the media so agaisnt his mother and sister and straight away thinking that they do this because they have something to gain from him. I am no fan of family members talking to the press about personal matters but maybe this is the only way that they can reach to him and he can finaly understand that he has an anger problem without them once again having to witness his temper if they try to confront him face to face about it. I just dont understand why some people are still so cynical about his family. His mother and sister actually talked plasently about him so I think we all should cut them a break.
I mean “pleasantly”.
This makes Bale seem creepy now. I certainly wouldn’t want to have a relationship with him….scary. I doubt he’s on speaking terms with his mother and sister. They could have saved their breath bothering to speak out. It probably just make things worse.
I read that he was raised by his dad and never had a relationship with his mom or sister.
Don’t know if that’s true but it would explain why the blood-is-thicker-than-water attitude is lacking. And it would explain why so many people see mom & sis as leeches!
I agree with Enonymous. Why is everyone minimising this guys problem? Kaiser’s right, it wasn’t merely a bad moment but a sustained verbal assault that went on for minute after minute. Why no-one on the set stepped in to stop it is a mystery. To compound matters the public seem to have displaced their revulsion at Bales actions onto his family. Perhaps they would have been wiser not to comment but they are not the problem. This is not the first ‘outburst’ of Bales’ His actions during and after the assault are those of a practiced abuser. The bloke has a problem
His sister and mother need to STFU NOW!!! They’re just pissed because he won’t give them any money. WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much is being made over this.
Xiao, how do you know they are not the problem?
Xia – My objection is to the two incidents being linked. His recent rant was inexcusable – apology or no apology – and I’ve said as much on other threads and believe he has fundamental anger problems, but the mother/sister fracas was IMO a shakedown. There were so many ambiguities in their original story and they way they took it to the press. They don’t have a relationship with him and are IMO just using the recent incident as an opportunity to gain some credibility for their original story.
I haven’t really weighed in on this matter because I work in a generally abusive environment, where being sh*t on is regarded as part of the job.
I think some of the commenters are very lucky not to have been in a situation where a superior — or wannabe superior — verbally abused them!
Maybe that’s why I’m ready to let Christian Bale be.
** Please please please, I’m not dissing anyone and I’m not in a p*ssing contest on “whose job is worse”. No offence meant — peace!
Modesty………..They are not the ones verbally assaulting others…………or are you suggesting that when Bale assaults someone it’s his mothers/sisters fault?
Excusing and minimising violence is how perpetrators get away with it
Modesty…just read your second comment and sincerely, you’re in the wrong job.
Life is too short
get out of there
g….yeah, I know what you’re saying – they did leave a nasty taste in the mouth but as always we (the public) don’t know the whole story. What I see in the Bale/relatives thing is that they know a side of him that the public don’t – hence the ‘shakedown’ thing – if that makes sense?
LOL, Xiaoecho, you’re telling me! I plan to leave the big bad city behind, deadlines be damned!
(Yeah, newspaper copy editor)
I plan to start farming later this year…
And thanks for your sincere words!
PS: Never meant to imply it’s anyone’s fault when CB flies off the handle. We just all know life isn’t fair and there are many bullies out there.
But I think the fact that he is a method actor played a much bigger role in his tirade than many people realise. (Not necessarily you!)
Uhm, that should read “anyone ELSE’S fault”
Isn’t Penn a method actor? He’s notorious for bawling people out too
His mother and sister sound like they are the type who would blackmail and piggyback onto HIS money and HIS success.
They are getting money and air time for bashing their famous family member.
Such people make me sick.
I’m staying to hell out of this arguement. I’ve said my piece elsewhere.
I do want to ask something of Kaiser though – did the original article say “A time out” or just “time out”?
A time out in this particular context is an irritating pseudo-American halfwitted term that in Britain only belongs on a basketball court.
Time out is taken to mean a break from work or stress and is moderately less condescending than the other.
He does need a time out. Seriously, this is blowing up for a reason – and I really hope he takes heed.
I also think he was tired at the time of that tirade and went off at the (really) deep end (there’s no way that frustration was just about someone screwing up his concentration – I don’t believe that for a second) and that it’s not living proof that he’s some kind of psycho either. Just too tightly wound right now (or back then, it was months ago).
However, I think he needs to take some time to check himself and relax – both in terms of himself and the roles he’s playing. Otherwise he’ll end up typecast and even more wired.
As for his mother and sister. I’d say something’s up there but, like Bale’s temper/high stress level it’s too soon to call it definitively – there’s not enough evidence. There is plenty of suggestion though. I’ll have wait and see on both counts.
There does seem to be a correlation between the two though.
What Ned said. Heh, it rhymes. Anyhow, I’m commenting about the family issues b/c I know what it’s like (as a non-famous person) to deal with passive-aggressive, manipulative people.
It comes across as straight manipulation for them to air their private family issues in public. HE’S not doing that, so they shouldn’t either. As for thinking that it’s the only way to get through to him, they can always write, call, text or leave messages on voicemail, etc.
There is NO excuse for using the press to ‘get through’ to your family. No one has the right to hear these matters nor comment on them. That’s why it’s called a private life, IMO.
I have zero sympathy for his mother and sister on this one. As for Bale’s relationships, we have no idea. He’s very private and doesn’t talk about his marriage, etc. His father was married to Gloria Steinem, FYI. He died around 2002-3, I think.
I read elsewhere that the guy he went off on was a jerk to everyone involved in the film and wasn’t especially liked. Soo…who knows.
I do agree with Geronimo about his mom and sister though. Knowing someone has a volatile temper is a good way to guarantee some cash if you wind them up enough.
Bale apologists. The guy is a jerk and he got caught. Apparently his family knows his behavior BETTER THAN HIS FANS since they’ve been around HIM LONGER. Bale’s rant is indicative of his anger mgmt issues and he is no better than Penn, Baldwin, Crowe.
Bale does need a TIME OUT becasue his rant was unprofessional and childish. That’s a fact. Bale is not getting a free pass because of his looks and talent. Take all of that away and he’s still a hothead in NEED OF A TIME OUT.
And McG’s statement is basic damage control to defuse the negative publicity. He wants his film to make $$$ and to work in Hwood. I mean, it’s so obvious. MKTG 101 people.
Autumn Leaves, how do his sister and mother know him better if they haven’t been in his life?
Then they’re no better than strangers…
There’s youtube vid of Christian Bale VS. Bill o’Reilly using the voice over. Hilarious and definitely NSFW !!
This explains Bale in a more complete context from someone who knows him professionally and personally
http://open.salon.com/content.php?cid=99060
I know you guys want to bash Bale. It’s fun to do, however, do a little research. Back in July, the mother AND sister reported that Bale “physically” assaulted them and it was just them in the room. Of course the charges were unfounded, and were dropped. Wonder why? Well, she tells you why herself. Because she contradicts herself. In this recent statement, she says that he only “verbally” assaulted them, like he did the DP guy. And she also goes on to say that he did it in front of her 3 kids. Where did they come from? Strange….they weren’t there before? Now I’m in agreement…Bale probably could use a break. He is angry. But who made him that way? Something is fishy and I don’t think it is all Bale’s fault. Everyone wants to blame him, because he is the one that’s the easiest to blame, but before we become to superficial and judgemental, let’s look at all of the facts. He didn’t get to be an angry little boy (so everyone says) by himself, mommy and sissy Bale.