Brad Pitt Attacked at “Maleficent” Hollywood Premiere

Witnesses saw the man from the fan area jump over a barrier to the red carpet at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on Wednesday and rush at Pitt.

A man was led away in handcuffs after attacking Brad Pitt on the red carpet at the Hollywood premiere of the movie "Maleficent." Pitt was apparently unhurt and soon resumed signing autographs.

Witnesses saw the man from the fan area jump over a barrier to the red carpet at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on Wednesday and rush at Pitt.

Security guards wrestled the man across the barrier and called police, who arrived and led the man away, as seen below. Pitt kept greeting fans and walked into the theater.

Photos on E! Online showed bodyguards and police wrestling the man to the ground and away from Pitt.

The man is Vitalii Sediuk, a Ukranian journalist who has pulled red carpet pranks before. NBC was able to confirm that the 25-year-old has been booked on suspicion of misdemeanor battery at the Hollywood Station in lieu of $20,000 bail.

Sediuk recently rushed onto the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival and dove beneath actress America Ferrera's dress. Ukranian TV station 1+1 fired Sediuk roughly three weeks ago, around the time he rushed Ferrera on the Cannes red carpet. The station's general director Oleksandr Tkachenko wouldn't disclose the exact reason for Sediuk's dismissal.

Sediuk's antics have repeatedly brought him too close for comfort to Hollywood's elite. In perhaps his tamest incident, Sediuk presented Madonna with a bouquet of hydrangeas at the 2011 Venice Film Festival, prompting the singer to express her disgust for the flowers. The following year, he attempted to kiss Smith on the mouth on a red carpet in Moscow, prompting a slap from the actor.

The incidents raised Sediuk's profile and apparently emboldened him to new stunts to attract attention. His grab of the microphone before Adele accepted a Grammy Award at last year's ceremony led Sediuk to plead no contest to trespassing and earned him a three-year probation sentence.

Pitt's longtime partner Angelina Jolie stars in "Maleficent," Disney's new live action spin on "Sleeping Beauty."

Phone and email messages for representatives for Pitt and Disney were not immediately returned.


Matt Sayles / AP

Vitalii Sediuk is walked off carpet in handcuffs after allegedly attacking Brad Pitt at the world premiere of "Maleficent" at the El Capitan Theatre on Wednesday, May 28, 2014, in Los Angeles.

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