Christian Bale's alleged blow-up came after mom bad-mouthed his wife

Christian Bale's alleged dust-up with his mother and sister came after his mom insulted the actor's wife, the Daily Mail online reported Wednesday.
"Christian was stressed, but he didn't lay a finger on anyone," said a source quoted by the Mail. "Instead, he just flew off the handle and cussed at his mother. He just got very loud because his mother was saying some very outrageous things about him, and his wife."
Scotland Yard detectives arrested "The Dark Knight" star Christian Bale Tuesday - after allowing him to go to the flick's European premiere - and grilled him for four hours. He was then released on bail in the eyebrow-raising case, officials said.
Bale denied the charges in a statement made through his lawyers Tuesday, and sources say the actor is confident he's done nothing wrong.
The 34-year-old Welshman has been known to have a temper. Last Friday he berated a cinematographer on the set of "Terminator 4," TMZ.com reported.
His eight-year marriage to Sandra "Sibi" Blazic, a model-turned makeup artist, is reportedly going through a rocky patch.
"He has stresses in his marriage," a source told the Mail. "He can have a terrible temper. Instead of lashing out at his wife, he sometimes lashes out at people around him.
"His marriage is not perfect, but his relationship with his mother is in much more trouble," they added, saying that Bale is more upset about his mother's words than about having been arrested in connection with the argument.
Bale had also been close to Heath Ledger ever since they both portrayed Bob Dylan in the 2007 film "I'm Not Here," and Bale was reportedly despondent after Ledger's death in January from an overdose of prescription drugs.
"It's foolish to think that he's been able to completely shake off that grief just as Heath and his work is finally being seen by audiences," a source told the Mail.
Bale's mother, Jenny, 61, a former circus clown, and sister, Sharon, 40, who live in the London suburbs, filed the police complaint against the actor on Monday.
The mother and sister claimed Bale, the stepson of feminist icon Gloria Steinem, assaulted them Sunday night in a suite at the posh Dorchester Hotel near London's Hyde Park.
"It's a family matter," Sharon Bale told reporters Tuesday, refusing to reveal details of the incident.
The actor has hired the London law firm Schillings, which released a statement rejecting claims by his mother and sister that he assaulted them.
The lawyers said Bale voluntarily went to the police station.