Glass Menagerie Star Christian Slater Arrested on Sexual Abuse Charge

Christian Slater, who plays Tom Wingfield in the current Broadway revival of Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, was arrested in Manhattan early this morning after police responded to a call from a woman who said that she had been groped by the actor while walking near Third Avenue and 93rd Street. Slater has been charged with third degree sexual abuse; at this writing, he was awaiting arraignment.

According to a report on CNN.com, New York City Police Department Sergeant Mary Doherty said that the woman told police that Slater had grabbed her behind. Doherty added that the actor was “intoxicated at the time.” Upon his arrest, Slater denied the charge.

This is not the 35-year-old actor’s first run-in with the law. In 1989, he was arrested for leading police on a wild car chase in California; in 1994, he was arrested for bringing a gun onto a plane; and in 1997, he was charged with assault and battery against a girlfriend, Michele Jonas, as well as a police officer. For the latter crime, Slater served 59 days of a three-month sentence and was also sentenced to three years’ probation.

A spokesperson for The Glass Menagerie said that Slater is expected to perform in tonight’s show. The production, which co-stars Jessica Lange, Josh Lucas, and Sarah Paulson, is scheduled to run through July 17.