That escalated quickly
Tom Arnold claims Mark Burnett choked him at an Emmys party, says Kevin Bacon is a witness
Tom Arnold's ongoing feud with Apprentice producer Mark Burnett apparently escalated at a pre-Emmys party this weekend.
Arnold, a longtime actor and comedian, has alleged that Burnett is in possession of a tape of President Trump using the N-word while filming The Apprentice. He is chronicling his pursuit of the recording on his new Viceland TV show, The Hunt for the Trump Tapes.
On Sunday, the actor tweeted that Burnett "just went apes---" and "choked me at this huge Emmy party," adding that he was waiting for Los Angeles police to arrive. Variety confirms that there was some sort of a confrontation between the two at the event, but noted that it was not clear who started it. The fight evidently occurred as both men were walking into the party; after security broke up the scuffle, both were reportedly allowed to continue on into the party. Los Angeles police told The Hollywood Reporter that a report had not been filed.
Burnett's wife, Roma Downey, claimed on Twitter that Arnold "tried to ambush" her and her husband, tweeting out a picture of her bruised hand. Meanwhile, Arnold's lawyer told The Hollywood Reporter that Burnett attacked his client, and Arnold is now threatening to not only file a police report but also sue Downey for defamation. Arnold also says he has a reliable witness who can back up his account: Kevin Bacon.
Arnold additionally claims that filmmaker Bryan Fogel has a tape of the incident unfolding, adding that Downey knocked the phone out of Fogel's hands after Burnett allegedly attacked Arnold. Considering Arnold is about to premiere a show entirely about Trump-related tapes, it's fair to say that if such footage exists, there's a good chance the public will see it soon.