Brad Pitt hit in face by prankster known for accosting celebrities

A man described as a Ukrainian journalist with a red carpet-length history of bizarre incidents with celebrities remained in police custody Thursday morning after allegedly hitting actor Brad Pitt at a movie premiere.

Vitalii Sediuk, 25, was arrested about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday after Los Angeles police said he “made contact” with the actor as he walked the red carpet with longtime partner Angelina Jolie at the premiere of her new movie, “Maleficent.”

Sediuk allegedly hopped a barricade at the El Capitan Theatre event and struck Pitt in the face, police Sgt. Leonard Calderon told KTLA-TV.

Sediuk was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor battery at the LAPD Hollywood Station shortly after 10 p.m. and was being held Thursday in lieu of $20,000 bail, according to online Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department booking records.

It wasn’t the first time Sediuk was involved in a bizarre celebrity incident.

In January, Sediuk appeared at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. He somehow found his way to “American Hustle” actor Bradley Cooper, wrapped his arms around Cooper’s legs and pressed his face against the actor.

In February 2013, Sediuk appeared on stage at the Grammys. He nearly ruined Adele’s acceptance speech for solo pop performance. The incident reportedly landed Sediuk a night in jail.

Weeks after that, Sediuk crashed the Academy Awards. He made an entrance wearing a Bjork-style swan dress accessorized by a pail full of replica Oscar statues. But he was stopped by police and told to leave.

In May 2012, Sediuk surfaced at the Moscow premiere of “Men in Black 3,” where he reportedly kissed Will Smith. The actor immediately shoved Sediuk away. As Smith made his way down the red carpet that night, he told one reporter, “[Sediuk] is lucky I didn’t sucker-punch him.”