Dustin Lance Black faces trial after assault charge

Tom Daley’s husband Dustin Lance Black will face trial after being accused of assaulting a woman at an LGBTQ+ bar in London.

Black appeared via video link at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (27 April) to deny the offence of assault by beating, with a trial date set for 8 August this year.

The screenwriter, best known for his work on the Oscar-winning film Milk, was granted unconditional bail, according to The Sun.

The trial comes after Black was reportedly involved in an altercation with Teddy Edwardes, who currently appears as a party planner on BBC Three’s new show Big Proud Party Agency, at the bar on 18 August 2022.

Edwardes, who is also the founder of LICK events, a nightclub event aimed at queer women, alleged in a series of Instagram videos that Black was “pretty much unprovoked” when he threw an “entire drink” at her during the run-in.

“I didn’t have a drink to throw back so I did choose violence, but I wasn’t that violent, he got a little tap on the head,” Edwardes said. 

“Tell me why he is crying outside saying it’s a targeted attack, and he’s traumatised and called the police so I have to wait for hours and now I have been cautioned and have to go in for interviews.”

Black was reportedly on a night out with his husband, the Olympic gold medalist Tom Daley when the scuffle happened, with Edwardes saying she bought the pair some drinks.

She stated at the time that a “random guy” came up to the group and made one of her friends feel “uncomfortable”, before Dustin Lance Black “started going mad”.

“The security came to move [the random guy] on and Tom’s husband started going mad saying how welcome I’ve made him feel and that he was leaving … so I was like OK? If that’s what you want? Then got straight drink thrown in my face,” Edwardes said. 

Black appeared on video in court wearing a blue top and black glasses, and spoke to confirm that his address is in Los Angeles.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Lance Black told PinkNews: “Mr Black was surprised and saddened to learn that after the other person involved in this unfortunate incident took responsibility and expressed remorse for a punch to the back of Mr Black’s head – which left him with a life-altering concussion – a decision was made to now examine the matter of a spilled drink in a court of law.

“Of course Mr Black will respect the process and in the meantime will continue to focus on being a loving father and husband.”

Black and Daley recently welcomed their second child, Phoenix, earlier this month. The pair married in 2017 and their first son Robbie was born in 2018.