After the shoot ended, Anne Hathaway left immediately. The set was chaotic with numerous extras milling about, and no one seemed to notice what had just happened. Emma Roberts was still crouching on the ground, seemingly in too much pain to stand.
Matthew quickly approached her and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"
"She... she stabbed me!" Emma said, glaring in the direction Anne Hathaway had left. "She stabbed me hard… it hurts so much."
The prop knife used by the crew was made of resin. While it looked realistic and intimidating, it wasn't sharp or hard enough to break the skin. However, if used with enough force, it could still cause significant pain.
"I'll get a doctor," Matthew said, standing up to call for help, but Emma grabbed his arm.
"No, don't," she insisted. "It's fine."
She lifted her shirt to check the injury. The movement was so sudden that Matthew, standing right in front of her, couldn't help but see it too. Below her left chest, the skin was clearly red and irritated.
Anne Hathaway must have really put a lot of force behind the stab.
Emma lowered her shirt, rubbing her side gingerly as she slowly stood up, her eyes still locked on where Anne had gone.
Seeing that she was managing, Matthew asked, "Feeling better?"
"Yeah," Emma said, as the pain began to subside. "It's getting better."
Since she seemed fine, Matthew didn't call for the doctor. After a moment, he said, "Let me help you get to the trailer."
Emma didn't refuse, leaning on Matthew's arm as they made their way to the makeup trailer.
During the walk, Emma remained quiet, but Matthew could sense that she wasn't going to let the incident go easily.
Whether Anne Hathaway had intended it or not, nobody could be sure. Accidents on set weren't uncommon in Hollywood, and actors often got injured. According to the method-acting approach, if Anne was fully immersed in her role as Mal, driven by the character's emotions, it wasn't unheard of for an actor to take things too far in the heat of the moment.
But Matthew had never experienced method acting personally, nor had he seen anyone so lost in a character. Besides, Anne Hathaway and Emma Roberts had been at odds since rehearsals began.
Having two beautiful actresses in the same production often led to friction, a kind of unwritten rule in Hollywood.
Matthew escorted Emma to her makeup trailer and then returned to his own to remove his makeup. By the time he was finished, both Emma and Anne had left the set and returned to the Hilton Hotel.
Matthew also headed back to the hotel, taking a shower and changing his clothes. Seeing that it was close to dinnertime, he made his way to the restaurant on the second floor.
The restaurant regularly provided meals for the cast and crew, and it was typical for most of them to eat there.
As Matthew approached the entrance, he noticed that only a few people were inside, about five or six crew members. However, something caught his eye: these people were loosely gathered in a circle, as if they were watching something unfold.
When Matthew got closer, he realized that the center of attention was none other than Emma Roberts and Anne Hathaway.
"You did it on purpose this afternoon, didn't you?" Emma, seated at a table, glared across at Anne. "I know you did it on purpose."
Anne responded with a demure smile, her lips pressed into a thin line, looking both elegant and innocent. "This afternoon? What are you talking about?"
Emma's eyes widened. "You stabbed me with the knife!"
"That wasn't me." Anne shook her finger lightly, her posture graceful like a traditional British aristocrat. "We were filming. The script called for it. The director asked for it. I was just doing my job."
She then added, "Don't tell me you don't understand the basic professionalism required?"
Anne sounded so righteous, insisting she was just following the script.
Emma, momentarily at a loss for words, was left speechless.
Matthew shook his head as he watched the two actresses. Conflicts between women often seemed petty and irrational. This was probably all about who was prettier or more popular—nothing serious enough to warrant an argument, let alone a fight.
Of course, Emma had every right to be upset after being stabbed and feeling the pain. But Matthew had no intention of getting involved. Let them argue; in Hollywood, actresses bickering was the norm.
In fact, almost every Hollywood set saw its share of backstage drama. In the productions where Matthew was the lead, no one dared challenge him, but there was always plenty of tension among the supporting cast.
Emma broke her silence after a few seconds. "You deliberately stabbed me with too much force. I'm still in pain."
Anne maintained her elegant smile. "The script says that Mal viciously stabs Adrienne. Isn't that what I did?"
"You…" Emma was once again left speechless.
Compared to Anne Hathaway, who had been in the industry for nearly a decade, the 18-year-old Emma Roberts was clearly outmatched.
It didn't take long for everyone watching, including Matthew, to realize that Emma was no match for Anne in this verbal exchange.
"Miss Roberts, please show some respect," Anne continued, clearly in control of the conversation. "Just because you don't know how to be a proper actress doesn't mean you should assume others are as unprofessional as you."
When it came to sharp words, Emma was no match for Anne. Anne's years in the industry gave her the upper hand.
By now, everyone in the restaurant could see that Emma was completely outclassed by Anne's verbal prowess.
Emma slowly stood up, and just as Matthew thought she might walk away, something completely unexpected happened.
Anne, still wearing her polite, aristocratic smile, was caught off guard when Emma suddenly slapped her across the face.
No one had anticipated such a turn of events, not even Anne, who stood there stunned as Emma's hand landed on her face.
The sound of the slap was loud and clear.
Anne was utterly shocked. She had never experienced anything like this before.
Matthew was also taken aback. He knew Emma wasn't as sweet and gentle as she appeared, but he never expected her to resort to physical violence.
Such behavior was extremely rare in Hollywood.
But Emma wasn't done. As if the slap wasn't enough, she balled her fist and punched Anne in the face, right where her nose met her cheek. Though Emma wasn't particularly strong, it was enough to make Anne's nose bleed.
Finally realizing what had happened, Anne shouted, "You bitch!"
She dropped the aristocratic act and stood up to retaliate, but Emma was quicker. She lunged across the table and began hitting Anne with both fists and open hands.
Anne tried to grab Emma's hair, but Emma caught her arm and bit down hard, causing Anne to scream in pain.
When women fight, it's often intense.
Matthew had never seen two women, especially two actresses, engage in a full-on brawl like this. For a moment, he was stunned. This wasn't the typical Hollywood backstage drama he was used to.
Luckily, there were no reporters around, or this would have been major news.
Matthew realized that Emma, despite her petite frame, had a fierce side. She had likely been waiting to get back at Anne since the incident on set and had chosen to act once they were back at the hotel.
Within seconds, Anne was completely overpowered. Though Anne was taller and physically larger, Emma's ferocity left her defenseless.
The fight lasted less than 20 seconds, but in that time, Anne took multiple slaps and punches from Emma.
What was more surprising was that Emma used everything she had—hands, feet, and even her teeth—leaving Anne with no chance to fight back.
"Emma!" Matthew shouted, realizing things were getting out of hand. He rushed over, raising his voice. "Emma, stop!"
Everyone in the restaurant, including the staff and other crew members, was too shocked to intervene. No one dared step between two actresses in a fight, and the spectacle was too entertaining to interrupt.
But Emma didn't seem to hear him and showed no sign of stopping.
Anne, who had been playing the dignified British lady for so long, looked utterly helpless in the face of Emma's wild attack.
"Stop, Emma!" Matthew shouted again, grabbing her wrist and pulling her away from Anne. "Stop, you're going to hurt someone!"
Emma's wild energy hadn't subsided, but Matthew used a bit of force to separate her from Anne, positioning himself between them.
"Both of you, stop!" he commanded loudly.
"Stay out of this, Matthew!" Emma snapped, still furious. "I'm going to make her pay!"
Meanwhile, Anne, regaining her composure, suddenly shouted, "Call the police! Call the police now!"
Matthew held Emma back, sitting her down on a chair. "Calm down."
Just then, more people entered the restaurant, including Christopher Nolan, who hurried over, bringing the chaotic scene to an abrupt halt.
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