Tarantino: Charges Are Fiction

Film director Quentin Tarantino, being sued by a fashion stylist who said he slugged her in a brawl, now faces a criminal assault charge in the case, police said Thursday.

Tarantino is currently starring on Broadway in the revival of the '60s thriller Wait Until Dark, to generally unfavorable reviews. He surrendered to police in New York's East Village to be photographed and printed but was released in time for his Thursday evening performance.

Tarantino will appear at a later date before a judge at Manhattan Criminal Court to be formally arraigned. If convicted, he faces up to a year in jail.

Tarantino did not comment on the arrest but signed autographs for fans outside the theater after Thursday night's show.

But his lawyer denied the charge, calling it the latest in "celebrity stalking."

Leila Mwangi, 25, filed a civil lawsuit last month in Manhattan Supreme Court alleging Tarantino hit her May 2 with a blow intended for her photographer-boyfriend, Barron Clairborne, at the Three of Cups restaurant in the East Village.

The bar manager, Santo Fazio, told WCBS-TV he heard Tarantino arguing with someone but was told by another person the two were friends. Fazio says the arguing continued but he did not believe anything else happened.

The civil suit seeks $5 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in punitive damages.

Tarantino's credits as a director include Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, which won him an Oscar as co-screenwriter.