Former Swinger Vince Vaughn and screenwriter Scott Rosenberg have agreed to steer clear of the downtown Wilmington bar scene, after they copped pleas for a barroom brawl that ended with the stabbing of actor Steve Buscemi.
Lawyers for Vaughn and Rosenberg entered Alford pleas in Wilmington District Court Thursday--which are treated the same as "guilty" pleas, but without admitting guilt--after they got into a nasty run-in with several locals in the normally Hollywood-friendly town.
Vaughn, 31, and Rosenberg, 38, were arrested April 12 outside the Firebelly Lounge in Wilmington, while they were there filming Domestic Disturbance, costarring John Travolta. Buscemi--who reportedly tried to break up the brawl--was stabbed in the face, throat and arm during the melee and was treated at a local hospital before flying to New York to recover.
Local resident Timothy Fogerty, 21, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, after witnesses told police he instigated the brawl and allegedly stabbed Buscemi.
Vaughn and Rosenberg (whose writing credits include Gone in 60 Seconds and Con-Air) didn't appear in court Thursday, but District Judge John Carroll handed out "prayers for judgment continued," which are typically reserved for first-time or minor offenders. The charges may be dropped within six months, according to the Wilmington Star newspaper.
In the meantime, Vaughn and Rosenberg were ordered to stay clear of Wilmington bars, undergo alcohol assessments, pay court costs plus $250 in fines and return to court in January to have the charges dismissed.
Vaughn and Rosenberg also have agreed to testify against Fogerty, whose assault case is still pending.
Following the brawl, Vaughn flew back to Los Angeles to work on another upcoming film, Made, costarring his former Swingers buddy Jon Favreau. The film, costarring Sean "Puffy" Combs, Famke Janssen and Peter Falk, is due out this summer.