An ugly altercation on a New York street has led to Australian movie star Sam Worthington and a paparazzo both charged with assault and model Lara Bingle nursing a sore shin.
NYPD lieutenant John Grimpel said officers were called to a Greenwich Village street corner about 5.30pm on Sunday (Monday AEDT) after Worthington and Bingle were aggressively being pursued by photographer Sheng Li.
Li blocked the Australian model's path and then deliberately kicked her in the shin, Lt Grimpel said.
Worthington, who has been dating Bingle since October last year, allegedly retaliated by punching Li in the face.
"The photographer had lacerations to his nose and bruising to his forehead," Lt Grimpel said.
Worthington and Li were arrested and charged at a nearby Manhattan police station.
Asked if the NYPD believed Li kicked Bingle accidentally, Lt Grimpel replied: "I wouldn't think so. No".
Perth-raised Worthington, 37, star of the biggest box office film in history, Avatar, was charged with one count of assault in the third degree and released from custody soon after.
He is scheduled to appear in a Manhattan court on Wednesday.
Li was charged with assault, reckless endangerment and harassment and could spend a night in jail.
He will have to face a judge before he is freed.
"He will be going down to court," Lt Grimpel said.
"He will either see a judge tonight or sometime tomorrow (Monday)."
Worthington and Li's charges are misdemeanours and that is significant for Worthington's movie career.
If he was hit with more serious felony assault charges, he could have faced deportation and possibly barred from working in the US.
Worthington, a former bricklayer who has often been compared to Russell Crowe for his tough guy image, first shot to fame with the small budget Australian film Somersault in 2004, but after James Cameron hired him to star in 2009's Avatar, the highest-grossing film in history, the actor has starred in numerous big-budget movies.
Ironically, Bingle, 26, reportedly said she was moving to the US because of harassment from Australian paparazzi.
Bingle and Worthington have been regulars at recent New York Fashion Week runway shows and paparazzi, knowing Australian magazines will pay for photos of the couple, have followed them in Manhattan.
It isn't the first time Worthington has had a brush with US law enforcement.
In November 2012, Worthington was accused of shoving a bouncer at a bar in Atlanta and charged with disorderly conduct.
The charges were later thrown out after the bouncer failed to turn up at court.
