Report: 'Batman' accused of assaulting mom, sis (AP)

LONDON - Batman star Christian Bale was arrested Tuesday on allegations of assault, police said.

British media had reported that Bale's mother and sister complained they were assaulted by the 34-year-old actor at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Sunday night, a day before the European premiere of his latest film, "The Dark Knight."

The women made the allegation at a local police station in southern England on Monday, Britain's Press Association news agency said. It said the allegation was then passed on to the Metropolitan Police in London.

Asked whether Bale had been questioned, a police spokeswoman did not refer to him by name but said: "A 34-year-old man attended a central London police station this morning by appointment and was arrested in connection with an allegation of assault."

The spokeswoman spoke anonymously in line with police policy and refused to go into more detail. British police do not name suspects before they are formally charged.

U.S.-based representatives for Bale didn't immediately return messages seeking comment. Phone calls to Bale's London representative went unanswered.

The Sun newspaper said police didn't question the actor Monday because they didn't want to interfere with the premiere of the movie.

Wales-born Bale first made a splash as the child star of Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun" in 1987. His screen credits also include "American Psycho," "The Machinist" and "Batman Begins."

In "The Dark Knight," Bale reprises the role of wealthy playboy Bruce Wayne and his crime-fighting alter-ego Batman, a brooding vigilante superhero still scarred by the murder of his parents.

The film, which stars the late Heath Ledger as Batman's nemesis The Joker, took in a record $158.4 million at the box office in its opening weekend in the U.S. last week.