Nicolas Cage arrested after 'drunken assault on wife in the street'

By Anita Bennett

-Actor allegedly pushed wife during altercation last night while 'heavily intoxicated'
-He was taken into custody this morning before posting $11,000 bail
-Oscar-winner charged with domestic violence and public drunkenness
-Cage and his wife were apparently fighting over where they lived

Arrested: Nicolas Cage was jailed this morning in New Orleans, Louisiana and charged with domestic abuse


Police in New Orleans Louisiana took Oscar-winning actor Nicolas Cage into custody after what they describe as a 'public fight' with his wife Alice Kim.

According to the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office, the 47-year-old actor was arrested early this morning, after witnesses saw him 'arguing with his wife' on the streets of New Orleans while apparently 'heavily intoxicated'.

Onlookers even told officers they saw Cage 'push' Alice during the alleged dispute in the popular French Quarter of the city, which is lined with bars and nightclubs.

Happier times: Cage and wife Alice Kim pictured together at a movie première in New York City this past July


New Orleans Police Officer Garry Flot told Mail Online the incident happened late on Friday, just before midnight.

A police statement goes on to describe the incident saying Cage 'and his wife were standing in front of a residence that he insisted was the property the couple was renting.

'She disagreed, and Cage grabbed her by the upper arm and pulled her to what he believed was the correct address.'

Temporary home: Cage spent several hours at the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Department in New Orleans

His saving grace? Blair's, New Orlean's self proclaimed #1 bail bond company, played a role in getting the actor out of jail


A few minutes later, as the actor tried to get into a taxi, concerned onlookers flagged down a passing police car.

An officer drove up on the couple and ordered Cage out of the cab, but the actor allegedly refused.

The officer wrote in his report that Cage started 'arguing' with him, and he responded by taking the actor into custody.

Busy day: The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Department was overwhelmed with media requests for information about Cage


The police report also reveals the officer 'immediately observed that Cage was heavily intoxicated' and his wife showed 'no visible signs of injury.'

Cage was charged with one count of domestic violence and one count of public drunkenness.

He was released from custody today at about 1.00pm local time, with celebrity website Radaronline reporting he posted $11,000 bail.

Radar interviewed a dispatcher at United Cabs, the company that sent a taxi to pick Cage and his wife up last night before the arrest.

'Its a real shame,' said the dispatcher, who asked that his name not be used.

Before the fight: A few hours before his domestic violence arrest, Cage was snapped filming his latest movie Medallion in New Orleans

Busy at work: Cage plays a former thief frantically searching for his missing daughter in Medallion


'Nicolas is one of our best clients and normally such a gentleman. He is a big tipper and always very kind... His arrest is quite shocking to me because I like him a lot.'

Radar is also reporting that bounty hunter-turned-reality star Duane 'Dog' Chapman's company 'wrote' the bond for the $11,000 that got Cage out of Jail, by working through a local New Orleans company called Blair's Bail Bonds.

Chapman's wife, Beth, even took to Twitter to boast about their company's role in the incident, and possibly to drum up future business.

'My guy just walked out of the jail damn new Orleans 8 hours holy cow that's a lot of time to process one guy,' Beth tweeted.

She threw in the advertisement, 'Yes we write nation wide Bail Bonds we can get anyone out in any state right from right here in Hawaii.'

Cage is in New Orleans filming his latest movie Medallion, about a former thief, frantically searching for his missing daughter, who has been kidnapped and locked in the trunk of a taxi.

The action thriller, helmed by British director Simon West, is scheduled to be released sometime next year.

Although he is one of Hollywood's highest paid actors, Cage had a series of financial and legal problems.

In 2009, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) filed a federal tax lien against one of actor's home, saying he failed to $6.2 million in federal income taxes.

His other wives: Nicolas Cage was married to actress Patricia Arquette from 1995 to 2001. After their divorce, he wedded Lisa Marie Presley in 2002


In response to his mounting tax troubles, Cage, whose birth name is Nicolas Kim Coppola, filed a $20 million lawsuit against his business manager, Samuel J. Levin, alleging negligence.

But Levin did not let Cage's allegations go unanswered and filed a counter-complaint stating he had warned the actor that he was living beyond his means and urged him to spend less.

Levin's filing also stated that 'instead of listening to Levin, cross-defendant Coppola spent most of his free time shopping for high ticket purchases, and wound up with 15 personal residences.'

According to Forbes Magazine, Cage earned $40 million in 2009.

Before marrying Alice Kim, who is his third wife, he was married to actress Patricia Arquette from 1995 to 2001.

After they divorced, he married Elvis Presley's daughter, Lisa Marie Presley in 2002, but they divorced two years later.



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Why Nicolas Cage Should Not Be In Batman 3 or any Super Hero Movie

In a recent interview with MTV Nicolas Cage volunteered his acting skills as 'any' super villain in the next Batman 3 movie. He didn't know which one he wanted to portray, he just knew he wanted to be in it. This is exactly why he should not be in it.

Why should any storyteller hire an actor that doesn't understand the material or appreciate a character. Remember when he was almost cast as Superman? Look at how hallow he was in GhostRider! Sure the movie was poorly constructed but Nicolas Cage hasn't been great in a movie since Raising Arizona. Meanwhile the importance of picking a performer for a role is what is paramount in super hero movies. Why? Because in super hero movies you as an audience member are asked (not expected) to suspend disbelief. The believability of the characters especially the antagonist and protagonist are perhaps more important than everything else including special effects and set design.

When an actor asks to be in a super hero movie for the sake of being in it you give up respect for the story. You didn't see people discussing who should play Tyler Durden on web sites prior the filming of Fight Club because traditional books are not scrutinized by the public for who is acceptable or even expected in an a role. Why? Because you can't compare comic book stories transitioning into film the same way as traditional books are.

When any comic book becomes a movie, the run up includes fan boys posting and cross posting wide and detailed discussions on who should play who in the subsequent story. X-men demanded that Patrick Stewart play Xavier. When the film brought him to the role, there was a wave of relief among every potential X-Men viewer that would come to see the film. This goes on for many characters that ended up on the big screen.

Sure it's a little bit silly to think that comic books and super hero stories are so highly scrutinized by their fan base, but it is what it is. Hollywood has done well in the past to realize this reality exists. When it fails to accept this premise, you can almost define the box office sales by the pre-Internet discussions going on before the films are released. As an aside, comic book readers don't like to see big name Hollywood stars in MOST super hero movies. They want to see the actor that most looks like their character in the story. They want to see an actor that has the mannerisms and feel for the character in the story. They want to see an actor that is most like the character, they never want to see an actor playing the character. This is why it is so hard for Hollywood to make a good super hero movie. A rare exception is Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and even he had to not be more like Robert Downey Jr. and more like Tony Stark.

In the case of Nicolas Cage, when an actor doesn't step up and ask for a specif role because they identify or appreciate a character, they really have no business asking in the first place. Nicolas Cage doesn't belong in Batman 3 or an any super hero movie as long as he doesn't have a n appreciate for a character in it. If Nicolas Cage said to MTV, "I would like to play a villain in a super hero movie some time" this would not have been offensive. But to people that read comics this is an insult. Comic book readers watch characters they know and appreciate come to life on the big screen without much respect for those characters often enough that I felt it best I defend them today. After all, I am one of those readers.

Weekend Movie Box Office Results

I didn't think Nicolas Cage had it in him anymore! Summit Entertainment's "Knowing," which stars Cage as an astrophysics professor who figures out how to predict monumental catastrophes, debuted as the No. 1 movie at the weekend box office with $24.8 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates today. "I Love You, Man" was second with $18 million and "Duplicity" was third at $14.4 million. Here is the top 5 run down:

1. "Knowing," $24.8 million.
2. "I Love You, Man," $18 million.
3. "Duplicity," $14.4 million.
4. "Race to Witch Mountain," $13 million.
5. "Watchmen," $6.7 million.

Did you see any of the top five movies this weekend? What are your thoughts on what you saw? Share them with PopCultureMadness!

Nicolas Cage and Kathleen Turner settle suit

Nicolas Cage settled a libel suit against Kathleen Turner in a London court due to false claims in Turner's autobiography "Send Yourself Roses."

In the book, Turner claimed Cage was "arrested twice for drunk-driving and, I think, for stealing a dog. He'd come across a Chihuahua he liked and stuck it in his jacket."

Neither of the actors attended the hearing, held at Britain's High Court. Turner's lawyer, book publisher and the Daily Mail offered apologizes to Cage and donations to charities of his choice.

Turner, Headline Publishing Group and Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers all agreed to pay for Cage's legal fees and also make charitable donations due to the defamatory and false comments in the book.

Nicolas Cage: Diva or Mr. Nice Guy?

Listen to this! One dramatic accusation from actress Kathleen Turners autobiography was published by the New York Post and the Daily Mail where she trashed Nic Cage. Do you believe this?

"Another co-star who left a lot to be desired was Nicolas Cage, who played my boyfriend and husband in Peggy Sue Got Married.
He caused so many problems. He was arrested twice for drunk-driving and, I think, once for stealing a dog. He'd come across a chihuahua he liked and stuck it in his jacket.”

And now Cage has issued a statement:

"I have never been arrested for anything in my life, nor have I stolen a dog. I am reaching out to my fans -- many of whom are children -- so they know that I do not condone drunk driving or theft. The reason why you've never seen a mug shot of me is because it does not exist."