Brooklyn — "Boardwalk Empire" actor Michael Pitt attempted to charm a New York Post reporter outside Brooklyn Supreme Court on Thursday as his defense sought to dismiss criminal sex-act charges tied to an ongoing domestic-violence case. Pitt, 44, wore sunglasses and a baseball cap and told the reporter that if she wanted to talk about the case, she should "come over to my house, and have a conversation," calling her "the New York Post," and adding, "you can come to my house, I'm inviting you there." "You can come there and have a conversation with me, you should have done that before."
The reporter tried to schedule an official interview, but Pitt balked. He then pressed the reporter with personal questions about where she was from and her education while holding a cellphone up to her face to record the interaction, before his attorney, Robert Gottlieb, ushered him into the courtroom. Pitt arrived with an unidentified woman, wearing a black suit jacket and a linen white shirt.
Pitt is charged on a nine-count indictment including first-degree sexual abuse, criminal sexual acts, assault, and strangulation, with prosecutors alleging four separate assaults on his ex-girlfriend between April 2020 and August 2021. In one incident, he is accused of forcibly fondling the victim and, three months later, sexually assaulting her and beating her with a 4-inch-by-4-inch piece of wood. In June 2021, prosecutors allege he attacked the victim with a cinderblock. Pitt has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
During Thursday's hearing, Pitt's attorney filed a motion to obtain the victim's cellphone to support a bid to dismiss the charges. Gottlieb said Pitt is innocent and has been working on multiple projects in Italy and throughout Europe, and he was set to fly to France on Friday.
Judge Abena Darkeh took Pitt off supervised release during the hearing, prompting him to clasp his hands and mouth "thank you." The judge also noted that an order of protection remains in place requiring Pitt to stay away from the alleged victim, and that the defense team should notify the court by email of any travel plans. Pitt is scheduled to return to court on Jan. 29, 2026.
The case remains active as Pitt's legal team navigates motions and the court process, while his representatives say he is focused on his acting career and projects abroad.