Benedict Cumberbatch lost his cool in a new incident with a cyclist.
The Hollywood veteran found himself at odds with another cyclist in London last week for allegedly running a red light. The incident saw both parties causing traffic for a screaming match.
Benedict Cumberbatch is no stranger to cycling drama, as he got slapped in 2019 for an incident in Freshwater, Isle of Wight.
Benedict Cumberbatch Gets Into A Verbal Altercation In London
The drama between Cumberbatch and another cyclist occurred on Tuesday, May 5, while the actor was cycling through London. An onlooker captured the altercation on video, where a visibly annoyed Cumberbatch got off his bike to confront the masked cyclist.
The onlooker alleged that they saw Cumberbatch “running a red light” in the cycle lane with a masked cyclist hot on his tail. Cumberbatch confronted the man for following him, leading to a heated row that saw the cyclist shouting:
“You’re deluded, you’re lying. I was behind you the entire time.”
Per videos shared by The Daily Mail, Cumberbatch argued that the cyclist was verbally abusing him. But the other party fired back by accusing Cumberbatch of repeatedly breaking the law, to which the actor seemingly admitted, “I did it once.”
The ‘Vigilante’ Cyclist Accused The Actor Of Repeatedly Breaking The Law
The verbal match between Cumberbatch and the cyclist continued, with the latter claiming the TV personality had gone through a zebra crossing and three red lights. However, Cumberbatch vehemently denied doing so. The onlooker who filmed the drama noted the exchange lasted ten minutes before the masked cyclist paddled off.
“It was crazy. It was such a pompous road rage it almost felt like it had been staged,” the eyewitness said. They added that Cumberbatch and the cyclist blocked the cycle lane during the drama, making it impossible for anyone else to pass. “The masked guy was obviously some kind of vigilante,” the onlooker theorized.
They claimed the man “doubled down on his rage” when he discovered Cumberbatch’s identity and slammed the cyclist’s actions. The onlooker stressed that they do not “condone reckless driving,” but the cyclist chasing down Cumberbatch for running a red light was far worse than the crime, in their opinion.
The ‘Doctor Strange’ Star Kept His Composure With Fans
Despite a bad encounter with the cyclist, the onlooker revealed that Cumberbatch never let his anger spill over to the crowd. When a group of school kids watching the drama asked for a picture, Cumberbatch politely declined, asking for a minute to wrap up his issue with the other cyclist.
True to his word, Cumberbatch took pictures with two young fans after the incident, the onlooker shared. “He was lovely with them; they were awe-struck,” the eyewitness said. The drama comes seven years after Cumberbatch was involved in another cycling incident.
In April 2019, The Sun reported that Cumberbatch had been accused of knocking down a cyclist with his Lamborghini. The incident occurred in Freshwater, Isle of Wight, with the victim identified as 63-year-old retired fisherman, Michael Lawrence.
The Primetime Emmy Award Honoree’s 2019 Cyclist Drama Ended In A Slap
According to a friend of Lawrence, he had taken his new bike out for a spin when a car appeared out of nowhere and crashed into him. Lawrence reportedly “took the full force of the impact on his forearm, which smashed the wing mirror.” His pal claimed he ruptured his arm in the process.
Things took a turn for the worse for Cumberbatch after he allegedly got out of his vehicle and blamed the incident on Lawrence. “Scooby dusted himself off and, full of adrenaline, reacted as he knows best — by slapping him,” the pal claimed. They added that Cumberbatch was lucky it wasn’t a punch.
Despite his initial bravado, Lawrence’s friend said he nearly had a heart attack when he realized the man he had slapped was Cumberbatch. Fortunately, the actor didn’t take offense, choosing to help Lawrence to the hospital and refusing to press charges for the slap.
Benedict Cumberbatch Once Saved A Delivery Cyclist From Getting Mugged
Cumberbatch’s run-ins with cyclists haven’t been all bad, as he once saved a deliveryman from getting mugged in 2018. The incident, per the outlet, occurred near the fictional home of detective Sherlock Holmes in London’s Baker Street. Cumberbatch portrayed the character from 2010 to 2017.
The entertainer had been in an Uber with his wife, Sophie Hunter, when he noticed four muggers beating up a defenseless Deliveroo cyclist. The Uber driver, Manuel Dias, recounted the drama in great detail, noting Cumberbatch wasted no time jumping out of the vehicle to help the man.
Cumberbatch dragged the four muggers off the bloodied victim and warned them to leave him alone, effortlessly defending himself when the muggers turned on him. The group eventually ran off after seemingly recognizing Cumberbatch, with the driver claiming he also stepped in to help.
Will Benedict Cumberbatch address his recent cycling incident?