Marvel star Benedict Cumberbatch is facing public criticism after he was caught having what appeared to be a heated argument with a cyclist on camera.
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The video, posted on Instagram by the Singaporean newspaper The Straits Times on Monday, shows the actor arguing with cyclists on a London street on May 5. The cyclist accused Cumberbatch of running red lights.
“You’re deluded, you’re lying,” the cyclist, who was wearing a face covering, declared. “I was behind you the whole time.”
Cumberbatch, who was also on a bike and was seen wearing a green helmet, replied, “Dude, you verbally abused me. I braked my bike to stop you.”
To which, the cycle said, “Oh no, I verbally abused you because you completely and repeatedly broke the law.”
Although he denied breaking the law at first, Cumberbatch eventually stated that he had “once” broken the law and “admitted it.”
However, the cyclist said, “And then you went through a zebra crossing, you went through three lights.”
The argument allegedly lasted for approximately 10 minutes before the cyclist left the scene. Cumberbatch stayed behind and took some photos with nearby fans.
The Witness Who Recorded the Video Speaks Out
Meanwhile, the onlooker who recorded the incident spoke to Page Six.
“It was crazy,” they told the media outlet. “It was such a pompous road rage it almost felt like it had been staged.”
They then pointed out, “Benedict still managed to charm everyone watching, even though he was having a meltdown. They went at each other about five times.”
The onlooker also claimed that Cumberbatch and the cyclist had “blocked the lane so no one else could get through” while they were arguing.
“The masked guy was obviously some kind of vigilante,” the onlooker continued. “He was really taken aback when he saw it was Benedict Cumberbatch, but he doubled down on his rage.”
They further shared, “I don’t condone dangerous driving, but for this guy to follow him and cause an incident like this was worse than Benedict slowly cutting the light.”
The onlooker then added that school-aged children, who also witnessed the incident, appeared to be “awestruck” after Cumberbatch told them to wait for photos.
No further details, including the cyclist’s identity, were revealed.
The Dr. Strange star was previously involved in a bike-related incident back in 2019. Cycling Weekly reported that during that incident, his Lamborghini knocked a cyclist over on a country lane. The actor gave the cyclist a ride to a nearby hospital.