Former child star Thora Birch came to her husband’s defense after a public exchange with an autograph seeker turned hostile.
Thora Birch Defends Husband Michael Benton Adler in Public Exchange
The “Hocus Pocus” star, 43, was enjoying an afternoon in Los Angeles with her husband, Michael Benton Adler, when things took a turn.
The couple was exiting the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills after the BAFTA Tea Party on Saturday, January 10, when they were approached by a professional autograph seeker.
In video obtained by TMZ, Birch and Adler got into a lengthy argument with the unnamed man. It appears the altercation escalated after Adler ripped up the autograph seeker’s photos, which he was hoping to get autographed for resale.
“Did you just call him trash?!” Birch shouted at the man. “Are you out of your mind? Did you just call him trash?”
Birch, trying to defend her husband, was being held back by Adler, who seemingly wanted to de-escalate the situation without his wife’s involvement.
According to Adler, the man put his hands on him after bothering Birch throughout the weekend.
The interaction seemingly caused a crowd to gather, as Adler repeatedly addressed the group—who were not seen on camera—asking for someone to remove the angry man.
“Do you see this crazy guy?” Adler asked the bystander, who recorded the incident. “This guy threatened me. Can we get this guy out of here? Please get rid of this guy.”
Despite Adler and Birch ultimately walking away unscathed, the man continued to follow them down the street.
“That’s my property,” he shouted. “You tore my photos! Give me thirty bucks.”
Thora Birch Married Michael Benton Adler in 2018
The ultra-private actress—who largely stepped away from Hollywood in the 2010s—married the talent manager in December 2018.
Fans were quick to come to the couple’s defense after viewing the video from the argument.
“He wanted an autograph and now he’s verbally assaulting them 😮” one fan commented.
“Why don’t people leave actors alone. Why are you approaching them when they are minding their own business walking down the street,” another viewer wrote. “You don’t need an autograph. Just take their Pic from afar and let them live their lives. The sense of entitlement people feel celebrities owe them. Mind your own business.”
A third noted, “People need to respect the privacy and personal space of others. Someone being a celebrity doesn’t make them fair game for confrontation by the general public.”
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