Comedian T.J. Miller arrested in row over Donald Trump

LOS ANGELES: Comic actor T.J. Miller was arrested in Hollywood on Thursday on suspicion of assaulting a driver, police said, after the pair reportedly locked horns over President-elect Donald Trump.

Celebrity news website TMZ reported that the driver, whom it said was working for Uber, claims he was slapped in the head by the “Silicon Valley” star when they arrived at his home.

It was not immediately clear which side of the Trump row Miller was on, but he has been an outspoken critic of the real estate mogul in the past.

Officers arrested Miller at a private address around 1am (0900 GMT) and took him into custody, LAPD officer Jenny Hauser said.

The actor, who was charged with battery, posted US$20,000 bail. He was released just under five hours later and ordered to appear in court on Jan 9.

Hauser would not confirm that the driver worked for Uber, adding: “All I can say is that he was a driver for a transportation company.”

Miller’s disdain for Trump was on display on Election Day on Nov 8 when he tweeted: “Please prevent @realDonaldTrump from putting his name on the White House in cheap gold.”

When Miller appeared on TBS show “Conan” a few days prior, the actor set fire to a Trump tie he said he had bought “back when Donald Trump was funny.”

Best known for HBO series “Silicon Valley” and Marvel’s off-beat superhero movie “Deadpool,” Miller stars opposite Jennifer Aniston in “Office Christmas Party,” which opened in the United States on Friday.

The actor had been due to host Sunday’s Critics Choice Awards in Santa Monica, California.

“My understanding is that he will still be hosting... It’s not going to affect the show,” said executive producer Joey Berlin. — AFP