Olympic diving champion Tom Daley jumped in to stop a fight when his husband threw a drink over a TV presenter in a West End gay bar, a court has heard.
Academy award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, 48, is charged with assaulting Teddy Edwardes, 32, at Freedom Bar in Soho on 18 August last year.
Black was out with Mr Daley, 28, when the American allegedly threw the drink over Ms Edwardes, who presents The Big Proud Party Agency on BBC3.
The couple live in California and Black appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court via video-link from his Los Angeles home to confirm his name, date of birth and address.
He indicated a plea of not guilty to one charge of assault by beating following the brief hearing on Thursday.
Black is said to have called police himself to claim Ms Edwardes had punched him.
Ms Edwardes said Black threw a drink over her and she responded with “a little tap on the head”. District judge John Law said Black would remain on unconditional bail until the trial.
The four-hour trial, which will have four witnesses, will take place on 8 August.
Prosecutor Adrita Ahmed requested that Ms Edwardes be allowed to give her evidence from behind a screen, which was approved by the judge.
The Met Police said at the time that both parties had made allegations of common assault.
The force said: “At 00.19am on Thursday, 18 August police were called to a licensed premises in Wardour Street following reports of an altercation between two customers.
”Officers attended and spoke to those involved. Both parties, a 48-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman, made allegations of common assault. There were no reports of any injuries and no arrests. Enquiries are ongoing.”
Ms Edwardes said in an earlier Instagram video that she invited Black and Mr Daley to sit with her but Black became upset when she asked a stranger who joined their table to leave.
She said: “I went out for a couple of quiet drinks with some 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, but I wasn’t that violent, he got a little tap on the head.
“Tell me why he is crying outside saying it’s a targeted attack and he’s traumatised and called the police, so I have to wait for hours and now I have been cautioned and have to go in for interviews. For everyone asking what happened, we basically invited them to where we were sitting and I bought them some drinks etc, everything was fine.
“And then this random guy came and sat with us and my friend said they felt uncomfortable because they didn’t know who it was so I asked security if they could move them on.
“The security came to move them on and Tom‘s husband started going mad saying how unwelcome I’ve made him feel and that he was leaving, so I was like OK? If that’s what you want? Then got straight drink to the face.
“I have to add that Tom Daley was lovely throughout he was just trying to diffuse the situation.”
Black grew up in a Mormon household and won an Academy Award for his 2008 film Milk. He married Mr Daley married in 2017 and the pair announced the birth of their second son earlier this month.
Black indicated a not guilty plea to one charge of assault by beating.
