LOS ANGELES: Actor Brad Pitt was punched in the face Wednesday night while signing autographs at the Hollywood premiere of "Maleficent" starring his partner Angelina Jolie, news reports said.

A man jumped over a barrier outside the El Capitan Theater and attacked the actor at the debut of the film, Los Angeles police sergeant Leonard Calderon said, according to CNN.

CNN said neither Pitt nor Jolie seemed fazed by the altercation.

Police arrested a suspect identified as Vitalii Sediuk, 25, the Los Angeles Times reported.

It said the motive for the attack was not immediately known. CNN said the alleged assailant could be charged with misdemeanor battery.

Witnesses saw the man from the fan area jump over a barrier onto the red carpet at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood and rush at Pitt, touching him briefly before security guards wrestled him back across the barrier.

Pitt kept greeting fans and walked into the theater.

Vitalii is a Ukrainian TV journalist who has a reputation for celebrity-related gatecrashing and stunts.

At this year's Cannes film festival, he burst onto the red carpet, threw himself to the ground and put his hands round "Ugly Betty" actress America Ferrera's ankles for a few seconds.

Other targets of his affection have included Will Smith, Madonna, British singer Adele and Leonardo DiCaprio.

In February of last year, he gatecrashed the Grammy music awards, going up on stage after presenter Jennifer Lopez read out Adele's name, The Hollywood Reporter says.

That stunt landed him in jail overnight, the paper added.

Pitt’s longtime partner Angelina Jolie stars in “Maleficent,” Disney’s new live action spin on its animated classic “Sleeping Beauty.”

Before the incident, Jolie told The Associated Press that the El Capitan is like a local theater for herself, Pitt and their kids, who usually don’t attend her premieres but did Wednesday night.

“Well, oddly, we usually go to the El Capitan, that’s where we take the kids. That’s the closest theater to us,” Jolie said. “This is the first time they were able to come to mommy’s premiere.”

The man got to Pitt despite security that was heavy for a movie premiere, with guards keeping a large gap between the stars and the crowd.

Email messages left for representatives for Pitt and Disney were not immediately returned.