Actress Thora Birch and her husband, film producer Michael Benton Adler, shared some choice words with an autograph seeker after the BAFTA Tea Party.
After the fan was too aggressive, the celebrities went into action. The complete altercation is on video. Keep reading to learn more.
The Incident
Thora Birch and her husband were exiting the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills after the BAFTA Tea Party when the incident occurred.
An autograph seeker bombarded the pair, a person Adler claimed was bothering Birch all weekend for her signature.
Things escalated from badgering to confrontation when Adler allegedly grabbed and tore up the photos the man wanted signed. This threw the man into a frenzy, leading to a few heated sentences within the group.
However, in a second video of the altercation, cooler heads eventually prevail. As the man continued following Birch and Adler seeking compensation, Adler was finished.
He pleads with the stranger to “get the f*** away” from him, but Thora eventually gives in and signs the guy’s pictures so he will leave them alone.
Things Said in the Altercation
There were several interesting comments thrown back and forth between the celebrities and the autograph seeker. In the video, Birch threatens to “knock” the man out.
She also threw out a remark referencing Israel, which sparked some backlash online. When Birch finally gives in and signs the pictures, Adler takes matters into his own hands to preserve their image.
He addresses the person recording, saying, “For all you people out there, don’t listen to this stuff. These people are wrong. They’re bad people. All we were trying to do is walk out.”
Eventual Apologies
Of course, the clip flew across social media platforms and news outlets. After she was the headline of several news stories, Adler released a statement about the altercation alongside his wife, Birch.
The couple told a TMZ reporter that:
“Thora Birch and I wanted to address the incident Saturday. We are deeply regretful for its escalation. As we left an event, my wife, Thora, was accosted by a professional autograph seeker who followed us to our car from a private area. Thora was trying to deescalate the situation. She is Jewish and has close family in Israel and was simply trying to place an accent. Again, we deeply apologize for this being misunderstood.”
Thankfully, no one was hurt, and Thora Birch and her husband were able to overcome a determined fan.