‘24’ star Kiefer Sutherland ‘headbutted designer’

The actor Kiefer Sutherland has landed himself in trouble again after allegedly headbutting a fashion designer. The incident is said to have occurred at the Costume Institute Gala after-party in New York's SubMercer bar on Monday night when Sutherland was talking the Lipstick Jungle actress Brooke Shields.

Reports from the scene suggest that designer Jack McCollough, whose clothes are sold under the Proenza Schouler label, accidentally knocked into Shields. At which point Sutherland asked McCollough to apologise. The designer supposedly pushed away the disgruntled 24 star who immediately headbutted McCollough in the face, apparently breaking his nose.

Sutherland may have felt that he was being chivalrous but it seems that Shields was far from impressed. A spokesman for the actress says that McCollough "did absolutely nothing to her" adding: "Jack did nothing inappropriate. It's not clear what caused Kiefer to do what he did."

While this sort of behaviour would be perfectly acceptable from Sutherland’s alter ego, agent Jack Bauer, the NYPD are unlikely to look kindly on the actor's antics. Sutherland is on probation back in Los Angeles after being arrested for a drink driving offence - his second such run-in with the law. The 42-year-old also has a history of drunken violence. In 2007 a video surfaced on YouTube showing him making a flying tackle on a Christmas tree in the lobby of a hotel.

Neither Sutherland nor McCollough has yet commented on the most recent incident.