It’s been a rough year for Robert Pattinson. The Twilight star was at the center of one of Hollywood’s biggest scandals when his ex-girlfriend, actress FKA Twigs, publicly accused him of rape. In the wake of the scandal, many of his fans have distanced themselves from him, and even his most ardent supporters have begun to question whether or not he’s the right choice for the role of Batman. Now, it seems, he may have another problem to deal with: According to a new report from The Sun, Pattinson has been booked for suspicion of burglary in Los Angeles. The paper claims that the actor was caught on camera lurking outside the home of his friend and collaborator, producer Diogenes Kogan, late one night in December 2019.
The incident reportedly took place after Kogan’s 22-year-old son, Arlo, returned home from New York City where he’d been studying at the Marlborough School. Upon entering the residence, the paper says Arlo found Pattinson in the act of “peering into a window and appearing to be trying to see inside.” When confronted by his son about his suspicious behavior, Pattinson reportedly responded by claiming that he was just there to check on his son’s welfare and assure him that everything was okay. Arlo Kogan then reportedly called the cops, who arrived and found no evidence of a crime having taken place. But even if there was no crime, this would still be a huge blow to Pattinson’s credibility, as it would seem to confirm the worst suspicions of many of his critics that he’s not capable of playing a nice guy. Especially when it comes to men and boys. The actor has yet to comment on the matter.
Why Is It Suing Weinstein?
If you’re wondering why The Sun is reporting on a non-existent criminal investigation into a Hollywood kingpin like Harvey Weinstein, it’s because this is a tactic that the paper has employed in the past to get page views and boost its digital advertising revenue. Don’t get me wrong, I have no sympathy for Weinstein or anyone involved in sexual misconduct. But, there’s also a big difference between reporting on an investigation into Weinstein’s alleged crimes and actually showing favoritism toward one side in a civil suit. Even some of the newspaper’s most recent reporting has been more focused on boosting its digital advertising rather than providing a full and fair account of events. And that’s a shame, because without consistent and fair coverage from legitimate news organizations, the public will continue to be denied the truth, and we’ll never truly know the extent of Weinstein’s alleged crimes.
Batman’s Future As Batman Is Uncertain
It would be easy to write off all of this as just more tabloid nonsense. But, the fact is, even some of Batman’s most devoted fans have begun to voice their concerns about whether or not the 64-year-old actor is still the right choice to play the Dark Knight. Most recently, Australian actor Kellie Brown took to Twitter to call for Warner Bros. to consider other contenders, including Charlie Hunnam, who is most well-known for playing a very different kind of superhero, King Kong, in the Kong: Skull Island movie. Brown claimed that, because of the cultural and political sensitivities surrounding the character of Batman, she doesn’t feel that the studio should rush into casting a new actor before they’re absolutely sure that Pattinson is unable to play the role.
Then again, maybe it’s not such a bad thing if the 64-year-old actor fails to live up to our expectations. After all, he’s been playing Batman for more than six decades now. And it’s been a long time since the Caped Crusader was last portrayed by someone as young as Pattinson. With no clear successor in sight, perhaps it’s time for Batman to make a clean break and start over again. With a little more realism and a lot less cheesecake.
Or maybe not. Hollywood has a way of dealing with these kinds of issues. And, although the criminal probe into Weinstein’s alleged crimes may never be resolved, one thing is for sure: It’s been a whirlwind year for Robert Pattinson, and it’s only the beginning.