X-Men Actor James McAvoy Punched By Drunk Stranger At Toronto Bar After California Schemin' Premiere At TIFF 2025

Scottish actor and director James McAvoy was attacked by a stranger on Monday, September 8, at a Toronto bar, where he had gone for the premiere of his directorial debut, California Schemin’, during the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF 2025). The 46-year-old actor and his wife, Lisa Liberati, had attended the world premiere of California Schemin’ at TIFF on Saturday, September 6.

James McAvoy Punched By Drunk Stranger At Toronto Bar

While enjoying a quiet night at Charlotte's Room in Toronto on Monday, McAvoy was punched by a drunk man at around 11:55 p.m. James' back was to him and the man just punched him. Caught off guard, the actor tried to deescalate the situation as others intervened to remove the man.

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Source Close To James McAvoy Reveal Details About Incident

A source close to the actor told PEOPLE, "James was having a casual get-together with the producers of his movie and, as he later learned when speaking with the staff, there was a man who drank too much who was getting escorted out."

Furthermore, the source revealed that the actor remained at the bar after the incident, even laughing it off with other patrons and the staff.

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About California Schemin'

McAvoy's latest film, California Schemin', is based on the true story of two Scottish men who pretend to be Americans to pursue careers as hip-hop stars and end up touring with Eminem.

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The cast also features Séamus McLean Ross, Samuel Bottomley, Lucy Halliday, and Rebekah Murrell.