The Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black will face trial in August accused of assaulting a woman in a London nightclub.
The American film-maker, 48, who is married to the Olympic champion diver Tom Daley, appeared at Westminster magistrates court on Thursday, a court official confirmed.
A statement said he would next appear at the same court on Tuesday 8 August.
Black is charged with assaulting Teddy Edwardes by beating on 18 August last year. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was granted unconditional bail before a trial set for 8 August.
Edwardes is an LGBTQ+ party planner and host of the BBC Three show Big Proud Party Agency. According to reports, Black allegedly threw a drink over Edwardes at Freedom nightclub in Soho. He was reported to have been accompanied by Daley at the time.
Edwardes reportedly posted on Instagram after the alleged incident, writing: “I went out for a couple of quiet drinks with my friends last night, nothing crazy, and I bumped into Tom Daley and his husband in Soho, who … pretty much unprovoked he threw an entire drink over me in Freedom.
“I didn’t have a drink to throw back so I did choose violence, it wasn’t that violent, he got a little tap on the back of the head.”
The following month, Black also posted on Instagram about why he “vanished for a while”. He said: “A month ago I sustained a serious head injury that put me out of commission. Showing little improvement, my doctors ordered me to shut off my brain in hopes of it healing.
“This has been a challenging, frightening time for a creative type who depends on what’s in his skull to work, care and love. And now I understand the road back will be long.”
The Metropolitan police said officers were called to a club in Soho, in the West End of London at about 12.30am on 18 August last year following reports of “an altercation” between a man in his 40s and a woman in her 30s.
Black won an Oscar for best original screenplay for Milk, a film based on the life of the gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk. He also created the FX series Under the Banner of Heaven starring Andrew Garfield, and wrote the 2011 film J Edgar starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Armie Hammer.
He married Daley in 2017 and the couple have two sons.
A representative for Black said: “Mr Black was surprised and saddened to learn that after the other person involved in this unfortunate incident took responsibility and expressed remorse for a punch to the back of Mr Black’s head – which left him with a life-altering concussion – a decision was made to now examine the matter of a spilled drink in a court of law.
“Of course Mr Black will respect the process, and in the meantime will continue to focus on being a loving father and husband.”
• This article was amended on 27 April 2023 to correct the name of the alleged victim in the incident.
