Darts superstar Michael van Gerwen was punched in the face by a stranger in a bar fight on King’s Day – a public holiday in the Netherlands.
Shocking footage shared online has emerged on social media of the three-time world champion being punched in the face during a bar brawl
Van Gerwen can be seen talking to a man and a woman at a bar in the city of Den Bosch, when the man suddenly hits the Dutch star in the face.
The 37-year-old tries to pursue the perpetrator, but was stopped when two security guards apprehended the man.
He told the Dutch sports news website Sportnieuws.nl: “That man had clearly had too much to drink, and it felt to me as if his anger came out of nowhere.
“Just as he seemed to be heading for the exit, he suddenly stormed out. Of course, it’s not right that I went after him. But it was an automatic reaction.
“That man clearly knows he was wrong because he apologized via Instagram.”
Van Gerwen has decided not to press charges against the person responsible.
His management, MODUS Sports Management, released a statement on the viral footage, revealing that their client had not provoked the man and was not to blame.
The statement read: “We are aware of footage circulating of an incident involving Michael van Gerwen.
“He did not provoke the situation and was not at fault. As it is a private matter, we will not comment further.”
Van Gerwen was back in the Premier League in Aberdeen on Thursday where he suffered a quarter-final exit to Luke Humphries.
What’s happening on Premier League Night 14 in Leeds
The 2026 BetMGM Premier League season continues in Leeds as Luke Humphries aims for a third consecutive triumph at the First Direct Arena.
The reigning champion takes on Josh Rock in his quarter-final clash as league leader Luke Littler begins his latest bid of the night against Van Gerwen in a mouth-watering contest.
Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton go head-to-head in an all-Welsh affair in next week’s opener, while Gian van Veen and Stephen Bunting also battle it out for a place in the semi-finals.
Ranking points are awarded per night – with five to the winner, three to the runner-up and two to the semi-finalists – to form the league table, from which the top four players will progress to Finals Night at The O2 in London on Thursday 28 May.
Who will win this year’s Premier League Darts? Luke Humphries will defend his title and you can watch the action every Thursday until May on Sky Sports. Stream darts and more top sports with NU.