the buzz log

For Christian Bale, it's been a week of serious ups and downs. In the same seven days that his turn as Batman broke box office records, he appeared before police on accusations of attacking his mother and sister. Both events pushed searches on the star to dizzying heights. But it was news of the arrest that thrust his family into the public eye, too.

According to reports, the Welsh-born actor's mother, Jenny Bale, and one of his sisters, Sharon Bale, accused him of assault. Searches on both women's names immediately surged, as did "christian bale mother." The fact that Bale's mom was once a circus clown proved irresistible to a number of news outlets; several of them quickly worked the detail into attention-grabbing headlines.

On Wednesday, we learned "The Dark Knight" performer may have reacted to unflattering things said about his wife of eight years, Sibi Blazic. But even before that development emerged, movie-watchers and news-hounds sought Bale's spouse online. Over the past 24 hours, demand for her name rose 979%.

Other members of Bale's family also found themselves the subject of intense e-gawking. Searches jumped for Bale's other sister, Louise, and his father, David. Many fans were surprised to discover that David Bale, who died in 2003, was married to Gloria Steinem, thus making the feminist icon Christian Bale's stepmother. Searches on Steinem vaulted skyward, tying her to the Bale family drama and the son's week of whipsawing exposure—and skyrocketing buzz.