‘90210’ Alum Ian Ziering Accused of Assault 2 Years After Alleged New Year’s Eve Road Rage Incident

Ian Ziering, best known for playing Steve Sanders on Beverly Hills, 90210, is facing a slew of accusations two years after he was involved in a traffic incident on New Year’s Eve.

The actor, 61, has been accused of battery, assault, intentional infliction of emotional distress, malicious prosecution, negligence and negligent infliction of emotional distress, according to a civil complaint reviewed by People.

The legal documents, filed in the County of Los Angeles, reportedly say that plaintiff Jacob Hernandez was on a motorbike in Los Angeles on December 31, 2023, when he was allegedly approached by Ziering while they were all stuck in traffic.

After Ziering “suddenly exited” his Mercedes-Benz, the complaint claims the actor yelled at Hernandez before shoving him, “unprompted,” which caused the plaintiff to fall into his friend who was also on a motorbike. Both were reportedly injured.

From there, a “melee occurred,” the complaint reportedly claims.

According to Ziering, who addressed the incident on his Instagram account the day after it occurred, his “car was approached aggressively by one of these riders leading to an unsettling confrontation. In an attempt to assess any damage I exited my car.”

“This action, unfortunately, escalated into a physical altercation, which I navigated to protect myself,” Ziering said.

The Sharknado star was with his daughter Penna, now 12 — whom he shares with ex-wife Erin Ludwig — at the time. Ziering said that he and Penna left the scene “completely unscathed” but that the ordeal left him “deeply concerned about the growing boldness of such groups who disrupt public safety and peace.”

Per People, the filing claims that Ziering omitted the truth when he posted on social media and, as a result, Hernandez was arrested in May 2024 and held on $50,000 bail.

Hernandez further alleged, via the complaint, that he suffered “significant mental health issues” and “does not want to leave his home for fear of public humiliation nor open his social media applications.”

Hernandez is seeking compensatory damages, as well as punitive damages, and he is seeking a jury trial, per People.

A May 2024 release from the LAPD stated that after Ziering was assaulted during the scuffle with the motorcyclists, “the minibike riders vandalized the motorist’s vehicle while his ten-year-old child remained in the front seat.”