KJ Apa was once punched in the face… By none other than his close friend Cole Sprouse!
The 29-year-old appeared on Tuesday’s episode of the Wildmen Podcast, where he opened up to hosts Brendan Columbus and Cole’s brother Dylan Sprouse about a time the Five Feet Apart star decked him square in the money maker! During a conversation about Cole’s demanding presence, KJ noted:
“When Cole enters a room … It’s that thing where you’re watching, you’re aware … A lot of men, when they experience that feeling, they don’t know how to deal with it.”
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He went on to reminisce on “walk[ing] into places in Vancouver all the time and get[ting] called” various names. But there was once time in particular that tensions boiled over between the two of THEM.
“I remember we almost got into a fight.”
Dylan noted that Cole “likes to get into fisticuffs,” to which KJ didn’t hesitate to agree with… Because he was once on the receiving end!
“Oh yeah, I’ve been around it. He punched me in the face.”
WHAT?!
Dylan, who was also there for the confrontation, joked:
“I remember you ran like an ostrich.”
KJ tacked on:
“He punched me in the face and then I ran away.”
OMG!
Dylan recalled pointing out to Cole how BRUTAL things could of ended up since KJ is so physically fit:
“I looked at my brother after that and was like, ‘Dude, you could have just died.’”
Brendan joked “it was a nice move to run away.”
Looks like it!!!
Dylan then said he “made the mistake of trying to chase after” KJ:
“I was like, ‘Oh, dude, I’m going to get him. You were three blocks away by the time I was just getting my bearings. I called you, I was like, ‘Oh my god!’ You might still have the voicemail.”
HA! Dude’s a machine! KJ went on to reveal WHY Cole hit him:
“I was crying … He hit me because we were in a strip club and at this time I was doing a lot of drugs, and a lot of my close friends were worried about me, and he had learned that I was doing drugs again. It was a love punch.”
Whoa!!! That’s scary!
Dylan joked it was a “weak punch” because Cole didn’t “use his shoulder.” But it was enough for KJ to reset in the moment:
“It was a wake up punch.”
We’re just glad it went that way and not an even MORE violent way.
Dylan went on to give his two cents on Cole and KJ’s dynamic, noting he always thought their interactions were “really beautiful.” He said he worried about Cole when he went up to Vancouver to shoot Riverdale because he thought he wouldn’t have anyone he’s “really close to.”
“But then he called me and was like, ‘I’m so glad KJ is here.’”
Dylan said that made him feel “safe” knowing someone around Cole had a “similar mentality” to him.
Awww!
Well we’re glad the punch came from a place of love and that KJ isn’t upset about it… AND that he’s OK! Ha! You can listen to KJ talk more about his struggles with addiction (below):
We hope he continues to prioritize his health. Reactions to this wild story, Perezcious readers??
If you or someone you know is experiencing substance abuse, help is available. Consider checking out the resources SAMHSA provides at https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline or check out StartYourRecovery.org
[Images via Wildmen Podcast/YouTube, Cole Sprouse/Instagram, & The CW/Netflix]
