Ian Ziering’s wild confrontation with a group of motorcycle riders in Hollywood two years ago has circled back, with one of the riders shifting blame to the actor in a new lawsuit.
After the former Beverly Hills, 90210 costar accused the bikers of “hooliganism,” one rider, Jacob Hernandez, is suing Ziering for assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. In the new complaint filed Monday and obtained by Rolling Stone, Hernandez claims he was piloting a relatively new 125-cc Honda motorbike when he found himself trapped in standstill New Year’s Eve traffic in front of Ziering’s vehicle Dec. 31, 2023. He claims the actor jumped out of his Mercedes-Benz and attacked him “without provocation” on Hollywood Boulevard.
“Defendant suddenly exited the car, yelled at plaintiff and aggressively approached plaintiff who remained on his motorbike,” the complaint states. “Without pause or hesitation, defendant with full force shoved [Hernandez] with both hands into the upper body of plaintiff twice.”
Hernandez says he never touched Ziering’s vehicle before the alleged assault and did not exchange words with the actor, who was traveling with his daughter. He alleges Ziering sparked the incident that was captured on video. According to the lawsuit, the shove caused Hernandez to fall into a female friend riding a different minibike to his right. Both riders fell to the ground along with their bikes.
The incident quickly erupted into a street skirmish. Multiple other riders “came to the aid of plaintiff and his female friend,” joining the melee of kicking and punching. Hernandez claims he suffered multiple injuries and his motorbike was damaged. The lawsuit claims Ziering later “omitted the truth of these events” in public comments. Hernandez says he was arrested months later, on May 21, 2024, but prosecutors declined to file charges.
In an Instagram post shared Jan. 1, 2024, Ziering blamed the bikers. “Yesterday, I experienced an alarming incident involving a group of individuals on mini bikes. While stuck in traffic, my car was approached aggressively by one of these riders leading to an unsettling confrontation. In an attempt to assess any damage I exited my car. This action, unfortunately, escalated into a physical altercation, which I navigated to protect myself,” he wrote, adding that he and his daughter were “unscathed.”
“The incident has left me deeply concerned about the growing boldness of such groups who disrupt public safety and peace. This situation highlights a larger issue of hooliganism on our streets and the need for effective law enforcement responses to such behavior,” he wrote. “As a citizen and a parent, I find it unacceptable that groups can freely engage in this kind of behavior, causing fear and chaos, while the response from authorities seems insufficient.”
Representatives for Ziering did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment on the new lawsuit.
Hernandez, 22, alleges the incident has left him in a state of constant paranoia. He suffers from panic attacks and has difficulty sleeping, the lawsuit states. He is asking for compensatory and punitive damages to be determined by a jury trial.
