 |
| Cast member Angelina Jolie and actor Brad Pitt pose at the premiere of ''Maleficent'' at El Capitan theatre in Hollywood, California May 28, 2014. |
(Reuters) - The Ukrainian prankster who struck actor Brad Pitt in the face at the Los Angeles premiere of the movie "Maleficent" was ordered to stay away from celebrity events as he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor battery charge on Friday. Vitalii Sediuk, a 25-year-old Ukrainian TV personality infamous for pulling pranks on celebrities at events, was charged with four misdemeanor counts of battery, assault, unlawful activity and interference at a theatrical event. He pleaded no contest to battery and unlawful activity, and the rest of the counts were dismissed as part of his plea deal. Sediuk was sentenced to 20 days of community service and 36 months on probation. He was ordered to stay 500 yards (about 460 meters) away from all celebrity events including awards shows and premieres, and to stay away from Pitt and his partner Angelina Jolie, Los Angeles City Attorney spokesman Rob Wilson said. He was also ordered to 52 sessions of psychological counseling. He is due back in court for a hearing on July 8. Sediuk jumped across a fence and onto the red carpet at Wednesday's "Maleficent" premiere in Hollywood, where Pitt had joined Jolie, the film's star, to sign autographs for fans. Police said Sediuk struck Pitt in the face, and was arrested immediately. Pitt was not seriously hurt and continued to sign autographs for fans after the incident, but was issued a restraining order against Sediuk. In previous exploits, Sediuk tried to climb under actress America Ferrera's dress as she posed for photographers at the Cannes Film Festival, stormed the stage during singer Adele's Grammy acceptance speech, and was slapped by Will Smith after kissing the actor at a Moscow premiere. (Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Eric Kelsey and Richard Chang)
