Alan Ritchson, star of the action series “Reacher,” seemingly let famed French emperor and tactician Napoleon Bonaparte do the talking for him after his viral weekend brawl with his neighbor.
The “War Machine” actor, 43, chimed in on the discourse surrounding his neighborhood squabble with a simple Instagram post quoting Bonaparte. “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake,” reads the plain post of black text over a white backdrop. It seems that’s all Ritchson has to say about the matter for now as he left his photo caption blank.
A representative for Ritchson did not immediately respond to a request for further comment on Tuesday.
Ritchson became the subject of headlines and scrutiny Monday after TMZ published video of the actor allegedly engaging in a violent altercation with his neighbor over the weekend — though it’s not entirely clear who started the confrontation.
The confrontation broke out Sunday in the suburban city of Brentwood, Tenn., and included the actor punching a man down to the ground multiple times, according to TMZ’s initial video of the squabble. The footage, seemingly recorded by a witness from their home window, also shows Ritchson attempting to pick up his motorcycle, which then veers onto the grassy patch by the sidewalk while his two sons, also on motorbikes, watch the confrontation play out. The other man, after getting to his feet, appears to continue scolding Ritchson before the actor and his family drive off.
According to TMZ, the man on the receiving end of Ritchson’s punches was neighbor Ronnie Taylor, who accused the actor of speeding on his Kawasaki motorbike through the affluent suburb, revving his engine and “disturbing the peace.” Taylor told the outlet he flashed an obscene hand gesture at Ritchson, who allegedly reciprocated the action.
Tensions between the neighbors allegedly came to a head Sunday when the actor and his sons rode their motorbikes through the neighborhood, TMZ reported. Taylor reportedly approached Ritchson, pleading to “stop this please.” That reportedly led to the altercation, which allegedly left Taylor with bruises and swelling. Taylor said he reported the incident to police.
The Brentwood Police Department confirmed it is investigating the confrontation.
Taylor, calling in to TMZ on Monday, said he walked in front of Ritchson as the actor was riding through the neighborhood and voiced his concerns for the neighborhood’s safety.
“It escalated quite quickly from there, I did push him because he was coming towards me on his bike,” he said, adding, “I pushed him a second time.”
Taylor added: “He kicked the crap out of me.”
A source close to Ritchson denied Taylor’s claim that the actor began the altercation, telling TMZ on Monday that Taylor had pushed Ritchson off his bike twice and and ran into the street in an attempt to stop the actor’s bike in a “really aggressive manner.” The source also told the outlet that Ritchson crashed, fell off his motorcycle and incurred cuts and bruises.
Ritchson, according to the source, attempted to defuse the situation after Taylor allegedly dared him to get physical. However, the source claims Taylor shoved Ritchson to the ground first, prompting the actor to throw punches. TMZ reported that Ritchson “has been cooperative with the police.”
A new perspective of the confrontation became public Tuesday as TMZ published video from Ritchson’s body camera. The footage shows Taylor standing in Ritchson’s way, the two men exchanging expletives and Taylor scolding Ritchson and calling him a “f— lunatic.”
“I should’ve run you over, dude,” Ritchson says about a minute into the three-minute video, which appears to record the entirety of the confrontation.
Ritchson, a former model and “American Idol” hopeful, is best known for portraying the powerful and highly intelligent leading man of Prime Video’s “Reacher.” The show, an adaptation of Lee Child’s “Jack Reacher” book series, premiered in 2022 and is set to return this year for its fourth season, according to Ritchson.
Though the actor has yet to directly address the brawl, in the days before the incident, he posted several videos detailing his struggles with jet lag.
“The second best time to vlog … is after 48 hours of work and travel with no sleep,” he joked in one late-night video, “I think that’s how the saying goes.”