Dylan Sprouse recalls holding intruder at gunpoint after break-in at his home
Three months ago, news broke that an intruder had broken into the home of actor Dylan Sprouse and model Barbara Palvin.
Only this week, however, has former child star Sprouse publicly reflected on the disturbing encounter, addressing rumours he was forced to hold the man at gunpoint until police arrived at the scene.
Following the incident, the Los Angeles Times alleged that the 33-year-old star tackled a burglar to the ground at around 12.30am on Friday 17 April.
Citing sources, it was simultaneously reported that Palvin, who is currently pregnant with their first child, was forced to call 911.
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TMZ later claimed Sprouse encountered the trespasser before he was able to enter their Los Angeles home, and was able to tackle him to the ground until the authorities rocked up.
Having seemingly grown tired of the speculation, the Suite Life of Zack & Cody star appeared on his Wildmen with Dylan Sprouse and Brendan Columbus podcast last week, where he set the record straight.
Sprouse began by claiming he 'never tackled the guy', adding, 'but everybody thinks I did'.
He went on to joke: "And I’m not correcting that. I’m not saying this to put the record straight right now. I want people to think that I did because that’s cool.
"But I mean, for the record, never tackled the guy."
Sharing his version of events, Sprouse explained that he'd been playing with Pokémon cards the evening of the break-up from the comfort of his sofa, while Palvin was upstairs, when he caught wind of a strange noise.
"All of a sudden, I’m hearing a rattle on my front door," he continued. "And the first thought that goes through my head is my dad, who comes by anytime he wants, [but] he would never show up at 12:30 because he’s in bed by 8."
Sprouse also joked that his 'first impulse' was assuming an intruder had their eyes set on their Pokémon card collection, being that he and Palvin, 32, had just enjoyed a 'great pull night'.
He rushed upstairs to fill his Mrs in and grab a Kimber 1911 gun , after which Palvin called the police.
The actor claims he then went outside to ask the trespasser, 'Who's there?', to which they apparently responded, 'It's me', which Sprouse dubbed a 'weird thing to say'.
"So I’m standing by the side, and I go, 'Who’s there?' again," the Disney alum continued. "I thought at first he was outside, like he ran out my gate again, but I hear him from my garage area, and he goes, 'Nobody!'.
"And I know he’s over there, so I have my gun raised, and he walks out, and the first thing I notice [as] he comes into the light, he’s walking really slow [and] he has a cigarette in one hand, and he’s got a longboard skateboard in the other.
"That was my immediate thought. I went, 'He must be kind of tweaking'."
Sprouse went on to recall: "I go, 'Hey, follow me. We’re going to go out my property. Walk slow, keep your hands out, like, I don’t want any funny business'.
"So, he complies. He’s really mellow about it. He’s not crazy, but I do notice that he’s responding kind of slow. He’s definitely on something."
He encouraged the intruder back out of the gate, gun raised, asking him what he'd been thinking.
The man reportedly replied, 'Dude, I don’t even know where I am'.
Sprouse claimed a neighbour heard the commotion and approached the scene, leaving the actor feeling 'a lot safer' after they jointly got the trespasser to sit calmly on the ground until the police arrived.
"Case closed," he concluded. "Didn’t press charges; he got in the slammer because of his previous arrest warrants, and I want to have him on the pod."
Rhianna Benson