Bradley Cooper reveals he was held at knifepoint on New York subway

The Oscar-nominated actor has detailed his horror after being held at knifepoint on a New York subway, as he revealed how he managed to escape.

Bradley Cooper has revealed he was held up at knifepoint on NYC’s subway as he was on his way to pick up his daughter Lea.

The incident occurred in 2019 as the actor was approached by a young man with a knife, the New York Post reports.

“I used to walk around New York City all the time with these [headphones] on – this was pre-pandemic. I was on the subway to pick [up] Lea downtown at Russian school and I got held up at knifepoint,” he said on Monday’s episode of Dax Shepard’s podcast Armchair Expert.

“It was pretty insane. I realised I had gotten way, way too comfortable in the city.

“My guard was down … I was all the way at the end of the subway. Innately, I would just go all the way down to the end. I felt somebody coming up. I thought, ‘Oh they want to take a photo or something.’ As I turned, I’m up against the post like it’s the French Connection or some sh*t, and I turned. I looked down and I see a knife.”

Actor Bradley Cooper said he used the subway in New York regularly. Picture: Zelig Shaul/ACE/INFphoto.com

The Hangover actor described the weapon as a “nice knife” with “some history” behind it. And because he had his headphones in and was listening to music when he was approached, he joked that the scary incident was “scored”.

“I can’t remember [what I was listening to]. I look up, I see the person’s eyes, and I’m taken by how young they are,” he said.

Despite being taught to never run if approached by someone with a weapon, Cooper instinctively bolted for the exit of the station.

“I … just started running. I jumped over the turnstile, hid around the white, tiled entrance to the subway [and] took my phone out,” the 46-year-old said.

“He jumped over, running away. I took a photo of him. Then I chased him up the stairs. He started running up 7th Avenue. I took two more photographs of him.”

Not content with escaping safely, Cooper decided to chase after the man. Picture: Lisvett Serrant/startraksphoto.com

Cooper then flagged down two police officers in a nearby SUV to show them the photos of the culprit.

“The guy kept saying – it was so interesting – he’s like, ‘Are you stabbed?’ I was like, ‘No, no.’ He was like, ‘Check to see if you’re stabbed.’ What happens is people get stabbed and they’re in shock,” Cooper recalled.

“I looked to see if he was right … And then I got back on the subway and picked up my daughter.”

Cooper shares a daughter with his ex, Irina Shayk. Picture: Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images

An NYPD spokesperson told Page Six that there was no complaint by Cooper on file.

Cooper shares his four-year-old daughter Lea De Seine with his longtime ex-partner Irina Shayk. They dated for four years before splitting in 2019.

This story originally appeared on New York Post and was reproduced with permission