While Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange uses sorcery to combat all kinds of threats in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, unfortunately the actor doesn’t have such abilities to utilize in real life when finding himself in a dangerous situation. Such an event just happened earlier this month, as the actor and his family were at their home when a knife-wielding man broke in and threatened them, leaving the residents “absolutely terrified.”
According to The Daily Mail, Jack Bissell, a 35-year-old man who used to be a chef de partie at the Beaumont Hotel in Mayfair, forcibly entered the Cumberbatch family’s property in north London with a fishing knife in his hand. After kicking through the front garden’s gate, he then spat at the £3.5million house’s intercom and used the knife to pry it out. Per audio reportedly played in a court hearing, Bissell was heard shouting:
I know you've moved here, I hope it burns down.
Benedict Cumberbatch’s wife, Sophie, and their three kids were at home with him when this intrusion took place, and per an unnamed source, all of them were “absolutely terrified” and “thought this guy was going to get in and hurt them.” Fortunately, Bissell never made into the actual house, and he was later arrested when police found his DNA on the intercom. Bissell did not explain during his court hearing why he targeted Cumberbatch and his family, but prosecutors shared that prior to this “targeted intrusion,” as the source put it, he purchased two packets of pita bread from a nearby shop and “shouted” at the shopkeeper that he was going to break into the Cumberbatch residence and “burn it to the ground.”
Jack Bissell pleaded guilty and was sentenced on May 10, being fined £250 and hit with a three-year restraining order banning him from going near the Cumberbatch family and the area where they live. The details of this incident have only come out now because The Daily Mail, as written in the article, “successfully challenged blanket reporting restrictions this week.” This wasn’t Bissell’s first run-in with the law; along with being photographed in 2015 being arrested in his underwear during a central London protest against military intervention in Syria, he’s also been convicted for theft and has received warnings for offenses against property, a public order offense and a drug offense.
As for Benedict Cumberbatch and his family, the aforementioned source added that the actor and Sophie “have had many sleepless nights since worrying that they may be targeted again.” This ordeal comes ahead of the actor being seen in two movies later this year, with The Book of Clarence set to come out on September 22, and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar expected to be released sometime in the fall. Cumberbatch was last seen starring in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which can be viewed a Disney+ subscription. While Multiverse of Madness’ end-credits scenes certainly laid the groundwork for Doctor Strange 3, the actor doesn’t officially have any upcoming Marvel movies lined up just yet.
Should any details about this break-in be shared with the public, we’ll pass them along. Until then, Keep checking back with us for more news about Benedict Cumberbatch, and learn what other 2023 new movie releases are left to come out.
