Back in 2008, Christian Bale made headlines after he was arrested amid claims he'd assaulted his mother and sister during an argument at a hotel in his native Britain when he was in town for the premiere of "The Dark Knight."
Now, his mother, Jenny James Bale, has revealed that their long family feud is finally over after more than a decade. "Yes, we are talking. I know Christian is in London," she told Britain's Mirror in a story published on Feb. 11. One day earlier, Christian was in London to attend the BAFTAs, where he was up for best actor for his portrayal of Dick Cheney in "Vice." (He lost to Rami Malek in "Bohemian Rhapsody.")
The drama started when, 10 years ago, Christian's sister Sharon alleged that her brother had shoved their mother during a blow-out fight — reports at the time indicated they were arguing either about his wife, Sibi Blazic, or about money — at the Dorchester Hotel. Jenny and Sharon later took their claims to police, who arrested Christian but soon released him without charge. His family members also reportedly withdrew their statements.
The Oscar winner did not speak to his mom, who lives in England, for years.
Jenny later told the media that after Christian ignored her repeated attempts to re-establish contact, she lined up with fans at one of his premieres in hopes of seeing him. She also continued to watch his movies and award show appearances on television.
"I have tried nearly every day to get back in touch," she told the Sunday Mirror in 2014. "Six years is long enough. I want him back. It's so sad we have not spoken in all this time. It's sad for me. It's sad for him too."
Jenny said she wasn't even sure what, exactly, had led to their argument in 2008 and speculated that Christian had misinterpreted something his sister had said.
"It was just something he didn't take up. That was all fine. It wasn't for Sharon, it was for the people she worked with. But I think he thought it was asking for money. That's all I can put it down to," Jenny told the Sunday Mirror in 2014 (via DailyMail.com).
"I want to reach out to him. I hope he reads this and gets in touch. I hope we can get back to how we used to be," she added.
Though Jenny has now confirmed that she and her son are talking again, she did not reveal when or how they got back in touch or made amends.