Kiefer Sutherland, shown as he arrives at the Fox Fall Eco-Casino party in Los Angeles on Sept. 24, 2007, was charged with assault May 7. (Matt Sayles/Associated Press)Canadian actor Kiefer Sutherland and the fashion designer he's accused of head-butting at a Manhattan nightclub say they have resolved their differences, clearing the way for charges to be dropped.
Sutherland and Jack McCollough issued a brief joint statement late Friday to The Associated Press through Sutherland's lawyer.
"I am sorry about what happened that night and sincerely regret that Mr. McCollough was injured," Sutherland said in the statement.
Sutherland, the star of Fox television's 24, was charged May 7 with third-degree assault in the alleged incident two weeks ago at a nightclub at the Mercer Hotel in the trendy SoHo neighbourhood of Manhattan. The minor charge is comparable to a speeding ticket.
A spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney's office declined to comment on whether the charges would be dismissed.
But now that Sutherland and McCollough say they have resolved their differences, a prosecutor may go before a judge and ask that the case be dropped. That could happen at Sutherland's next scheduled court appearance on June 22.
"I appreciate Mr. Sutherland's statement and wish him well," McCollough said in the statement.
McCollough, of the high-end Proenza Schouler fashion house, said Sutherland head-butted him and broke his nose after an argument.
The two were out following the gala at the Costume Institute of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, a fancy affair studded with celebrities.
The story spurred a media frenzy as a swarm of reporters gathered outside a police station in Manhattan to watch as Sutherland arrived for questioning and was charged.
Photographers also shadowed Sutherland and McCollough while rumours swirled about the nature of their altercation and what role, if any, actress Brooke Shields might have played.
Sutherland, who has won a Golden Globe and an Emmy for his portrayal of dashing federal counterterrorism agent Jack Bauer on 24, pleaded no contest in October 2007 to driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of 0.08 per cent.
The son of actors Donald Sutherland and Shirley Douglas served 30 days in jail, in addition to 18 days for violating probation in a 2004 drunk-driving arrest.
