Kiefer Sutherland accused of choking an Uber driver and threatening to kill him in a rideshare dispute that led to his arrest.
“Six months ago, Kiefer Sutherland was involved in a terrifying incident while he was a passenger in an Uber and the driver refused to stop despite repeated requests to stop,” said Sutherland’s spokesperson. Us Weekly on Friday, June 12.
The statement continued, “Although the driver refused treatment at the scene, in the months since, Kiefer has become the victim of his consistent efforts to embellish and exaggerate his claims of distress and injury while seeking multi-million dollar damages after he and his attorney learned of Kiefer’s celebrity payday.”
In January, the 24-year-old alum, 59, was arrested by LAPD officers on suspicion of making criminal threats, in violation of California Penal Code section 422, which is a felony. The row allegedly broke out over Sutherland’s repeated requests to be removed from Uber Black.
Uber driver Rafael Manvelyan has now filed a lawsuit against Sutherland, accusing him of assault and battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence, according to court documents obtained Us. The plaintiff is seeking unspecified damages, including retroactive damages. (TMZ first reported this news.)
The lawsuit alleges that the two men had trouble communicating during the Uber Black ride because Manvelyan speaks Russian and Armenian. Manvelyan accused Sutherland of growing “hostile, aggressive [and] confrontational” throughout the trip, before the actor threatened to kill him.
Manvelyan insists the argument quickly escalated, with Sutherland allegedly hitting him with “closed fists” and choking him.
When Manvelyan escaped and started to run, Sutherland allegedly chased him shouting, “I’m going to kill you.” The lawsuit says Manvelyan’s Uber car was equipped with a dashcam that may have captured “all or part of the incident.”
“[Sutherland’s] the conduct was willful, cruel, oppressive, heinous and done with willful and willful recklessness [Manvelyan’s] rights and safety,” emphasized the driver’s lawyers in the case.
Kiefer Sutherland in January 2024.
Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Critics Choice AssociationAuthorities eventually arrived at the scene, at which point they noticed “bruises and swelling” on Manvelyan’s forehead, according to the driver’s lawyers.
“As a direct result of [Sutherland’s] behavior, [Manvelyan] He suffered injuries to his head, face, neck, cervical spine, right shoulder, thoracic spine, navel, nervous system and brain damage,” the case continued.
Manvelyan’s legal team notes that the Uber driver suffers from “constant anxiety, fear, nightmares, emotional trauma and sleep disturbances.”
“[Manvelyan] scared [Sutherland] they would have killed him at the time of the incident and as a result he continues to suffer emotionally and mentally,” they argued.
The lawsuit also alleges that Manvelyan received medical expenses, including “chiropractic treatment, neurological examinations, diagnostic tests, cognitive enhancement and therapy,” some of which continue today. Manvelyan claims he lost his earning power and other “economic damages”.
After the lawsuit was filed, Manvelyan’s lawyer, Mitra Sabourihe told Us“My client is a private individual. We have filed a lawsuit, and the allegations are set forth in the complaint. We look forward to presenting evidence through due process of law and will allow the courts to address this matter.”
LAPD officers arrested Sutherland at the scene of the dispute on January 12. A police spokesperson clarified the incident in a statement sent to us. Us at that time.
Kiefer Sutherland’s tumultuous personal life includes two high-profile divorces and a broken marriage to Julia Roberts. The 24-year-old actor got married for the first time at the age of 20 to Camelia Kath in 1987. While sharing his adopted daughter, Michelle Sinclair (née Kath), and one biological daughter, future Veep star Sarah Sutherland, Kiefer and Camelia separated. […]
“On January 12, at approximately 12:15 a.m., Los Angeles Police Department officers responded to a radio call about an assault involving a motorist near Sunset Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue,” the LAPD statement read. “The investigation determined that the suspect, later identified as Kiefer Sutherland, entered the passenger vehicle, assaulted the driver (the victim), and threatened the victim with a crime.”
Sutherland was released from custody after posting a $50,000 bond.
Sutherland has had many run-ins with the law over the years. He pleaded no contest to a DUI in 1989 and completed 211 hours of community service four years later for another alcohol-related driving conviction.
I The Lost Boys The star also committed another drink-driving offense in 2004, where he was ordered to complete 500 hours of community service and sentenced to five years in prison. In 2007, Sutherland was sentenced to 48 days in jail after being arrested again on suspicion of driving under the influence, a parole violation.
Elsewhere, Sutherland suffered some disappointing news in her career in May when she canceled the US leg of her Love Will Bring You Home concert tour due to disappointing ticket sales. (Sutherland has released four albums of country and Americana music.)
“It is with great disappointment that I will have to cancel my US leg of my tour due to very low ticket sales,” Sutherland announced on May 15. “I don’t think it’s fair that the people who bought the tickets, or the stadiums, are playing to half-empty houses.”
He added, “I look forward to visiting the United States again at the right time. I hope you understand.”
Sutherland and his band are still scheduled to play one show in Saguenay, Quebec, on July 11. He ends a European tour on June 1 in the UK.
