NYP: Christian Bale's overdue meeting with Chen Guangcheng

Christian Bale is finally scheduled to meet tonight with the political dissident he was trying to visit last year when the “Dark Knight Rises” star was roughed up by Chinese government guards. Bale is slated to honor Chen Guangcheng at the Human Rights First Awards Dinner at Pier 60 hosted by former “Today” anchor Meredith Vieira. Also being honored are Showtime series “Homeland” and NYU law professorJerome Cohen. In December, Bale took an eight-hour detour from Beijing while promoting a movie to visit Chen under house arrest and got into a scuffle with guards. Six months later, Chen escaped to New York. Cohen helped secure his visa and invited him as a visiting scholar to NYU. But even though he’s been in America for months, the now-famous blind legal activist hasn’t yet met with Bale. “This week in New York will mark their first meeting,” said a rep for the awards. Bale’s starring with Bradley Cooper in David O. Russell’s next film after the Oscar-buzzed “Silver Linings Playbook.”  (Christian Bale  Splashnews)

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