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Brad Pitt Red Carpet Attacker Vitalii Sediuk Was Fired by His TV Network

Vitalli Sediuk
Infamous Hollywood prankster Vitalii Sediuk had already been fired when he assaulted Brad Pitt on the red carpet earlier this week.

Maybe he's learned his lesson now? Vitalii Sediuk, the Ukranian TV reporter who rushed Brad Pitt at the Maleficent premiere on Wednesday, May 28, had been fired nearly two weeks before his latest brush with the law.

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CNN revealed Friday, May 30, that Sediuk, 25, was canned by his network, the 1+1 TV channel, on May 17—the day after he jumped under America Ferrera's gown at the Cannes Film Festival. Therefore, the journalist was working without any affiliation to a network when he struck Pitt in the face and landed in jail.

Galyna Grubliak, a spokesperson for the network, released a statement to The Hollywood Reporter saying that Sediuk "no longer represents the interests of the company."

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"[The] prank on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival was Vitalii's personal initiative," Grubliak told THR of the moment he crawled under Ferrera's dress. "The journalist did not report his plans to the channel's Editorial Office."

"1+1 Media Company is sorry for the inconvenience caused to the American actress America Ferrera by the journalist’s behavior. Such behavior of the journalist is contrary to the values of the company and notions of journalistic ethics," the statement read.

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Sediuk's former publicist Christa Scherck told Us Weekly that she was "shocked" by the young reporter's latest actions. "I am just as surprised as anyone, when it happens," Scherck said of his infamous pranks, which include his sour attempt at kissing Will Smith and hugging Bradley Cooper around the knees. "Nothing is pre-planned, he doesn't tell me."

The Hollywood publicist added, "It's apparent he has real issues that need to be dealt with… I can assure you that he does not have a drug problem. He is a clean guy. He is so innocent. He is not a pervert either, by the way. He's handsome, very ambitious, [and] he works his butt off."

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The LAPD issued an emergency restraining order for Pitt on Thursday, preventing Sediuk from approaching the actor through Monday. Sediuk is currently being held in a Hollywood jail pending a $20,000 bond.

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