Benedict Cumberbatch got into a heated roadside argument with another cyclist in central London after being called deluded near King’s Cross station on Tuesday, 5 May. The actor, 49, was riding a cargo bike in the cycle lane when the clash broke out and, according to footage filmed by an onlooker, he walked over to confront the masked man in red trousers.

The pair reportedly blocked the bike lane for 10 minutes as the dispute escalated in front of passersby. In the footage, the other cyclist can be heard saying, “You’re lying. I was behind you the entire time.” Cumberbatch replied, “Dude, you verbally abused me,” while the other man shot back, “Oh no, I verbally abused the guy who completely, repeatedly broke the law.”

The exchange turned on what happened moments earlier on the road. The other cyclist accused Cumberbatch of going through a zebra crossing and passing through three lights, claims the actor denied. When challenged on that point, Cumberbatch replied, “No, I did not,” and said he “did it once.”

The scene took place in one of London’s busiest cycling corridors, where a disagreement over lane use quickly became a public spectacle. A passerby told The Sun that the other cyclist had been following closely behind Cumberbatch before the argument began. The source does not confirm any police involvement or any legal outcome from the incident.

What set the moment apart was how visible it was. The onlooker said, “Everyone was just stood there with jaws dropped. These school kids asked, ‘Is that Doctor Strange?’ and asked for a picture with him. Benedict said, ‘Not at the moment, in a minute’. He was lovely with them, they were awestruck.” After the other cyclist left, Cumberbatch reportedly took a selfie with two young fans, turning a roadside row into an encounter that ended almost as abruptly as it began.