White Stripes lead singer Jack White was charged Monday with aggravated assault after a fight with the lead singer of another band.
White went to a police precinct early Sunday morning and gave a statement saying he struck Von Bondies lead singer Jason Stollsteimer in self-defense.
The Dec. 13 fight between White and Stollsteimer began shortly before midnight at the Majestic Theatre Center, where both men were in the audience for another concert.
Stollsteimer, 25, told police that White had punched him seven times in the face. Police said Stollsteimer’s right eye was bruised and swollen and he was bleeding from his nose. He was taken to Detroit Receiving Hospital, where he was treated and released.
White, 28, faces anywhere from no jail time to a maximum of one year in prison if convicted.
White Stripes spokeswoman Chloe Walsh declined to comment on the fight or the charges.
Wayne County Prosecutor Mike Duggan said Monday that the two had an ongoing disagreement that began after Stollsteimer criticized White’s role in producing the Von Bondies’ first album.
“It seems that far too often celebrities think that the law does not apply to them,” Duggan said at a Monday news conference.
White and Meg White, who make up the White Stripes, are nominated together for three Grammy Awards: album of the year and alternative music album for “Elephant,” and best rock performance by a duo or group with vocal for “Seven Nation Army.” The song also earned Jack White a solo nomination for best rock song.
White also has a small role as a singer in the film “Cold Mountain,” starring Nicole Kidman, Jude Law and Renee Zellweger, which opens Christmas Day.
