TOKYO (AP) -- Christian Bale skirted questions about the assault allegations against him Tuesday at the Japanese premiere of "The Dark Night."

   British media has reported that Bale's mother and sister told police he assaulted them at the hotel a day before attending the film's European premiere.

   But the Batman star managed to make it through the hugely successful Warner Bros. movie's premiere in Japan with virtually no comment on his personal problems.

   "It's a private matter," he told a crowded news conference. Last week, in Spain, Bale brushed off reporters with a similar comment.

   Bale has said through his lawyers that the assault allegations are false.

   The 34-year-old Welsh actor's personal drama hasn't hurt the movie. It crossed the $300 million mark in just 10 days in the U.S. and is expected to do well in Europe and Asia.

   Bale and his co-stars were at no loss for words over the performance of the late Heath Ledger, who stole the show with his eccentric and highly charged portrayal of the Joker.

   "You could see how much glee and pleasure he got out of playing this character," Bale said of Ledger, who died in January.

   Bale was the child star of Steven Spielberg's "Empire of the Sun" in 1987. His screen credits also include "American Psycho," "The Machinist" and "Batman Begins."

   "The Joker claims the only things you can believe in are chaos and disorder," Bale said. "There is some truth to that."

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   Warner Bros. is a unit of Time Warner Inc.

   (Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)