Schwarzenegger 'will not press charges' over South Africa attack

  • Published
US actor and former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (C) is seen at the Arnold Classic Africa eventImage source, AFP
Image caption,

Schwarzenegger urged fans to focus on the athletes at the event instead of the attack

Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger has said he will not press charges after being attacked at an event in South Africa.

The 71-year-old was talking to fans at his Arnold Classic Africa sporting event on Saturday when a man drop-kicked him from behind.

The attacker was restrained following the incident in Johannesburg.

However on Sunday, Schwarzenegger said he would not be taking the case further, adding: "I'm moving on".

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post by Arnold

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post by Arnold

The video footage, shared widely on social media, showed Schwarzenegger posing for photos and filming at the event when the man attacks him with a flying kick.

The Terminator star stumbles forward after the kick, while the attacker falls to the ground, where he is immediately restrained by a security guard.

The unnamed man was later handed over to police officers, event officials said.

Schwarzenegger tweeted to his more than four million followers: "I thought I was just jostled by the crowd, which happens a lot. I only realised I was kicked when I saw the video like all of you."

In response to tweets from his fans, he said on Sunday he would not be pressing charges against the attacker.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post 2 by Arnold

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post 2 by Arnold

"We have 90 sports here in South Africa at the @ArnoldSports, external, and 24,000 athletes of all ages and abilities inspiring all of us to get off the couch. Let's put this spotlight on them," he wrote in a separate message.

The Arnold Classic Africa event takes place every May and features a range of events including bodybuilding and combat sports.