Spy: Manu Bennett gets 'healing' by medicine man after arrest

Manu Bennett inside his teepee in Salt Lake City. Photo / Supplied

Two weeks ago, Manu Bennett, 45, was arrested and charged with assault, after he was accused of punching a man at a party at his hotel after the San Antonio Comic-Con.

Bennett has not commented on the allegations, telling Spy he can't for legal reasons. He's grateful for the support he is getting from his Kiwi partner, Paddle for Hope founder, 41-year-old Karin Horen.

The arrest didn't affect the actor's popularity at last weekend's Salt Lake City Comic-Con.

Afterwards a friend from Indian tribe Ute Nation invited him to the reservation.

"The Utes and Navaho have begun to come in more numbers to the convention over the last couple of years and when they heard of my problems in Texas, they decided to help me by setting up a meeting with their medicine man, Chief Henry, who performs the healing ceremony."

Here's hoping the healing ceremony brought Bennett some peace.

Bennett acknowledged the Ute Nation as the local Tangata Whenua when he was first at Comic-Con three years ago.

Manu Bennett with his teepee in Salt Lake City. Photo / Supplied

"It's overwhelming to have spiritual support from an indigenous culture here in America," he told Spy.

Bennett's Maori ancestry is Te Arawa and Ngati Kahungunu and after the Ute Nation ceremony he feels the two cultures have many things in common.

Bennett has a major media junket coming up ahead of his new, highly anticipated show, MTV's The Shannara Chronicles, set to premiere in January.

Karin Horen and Manu Bennett. Photo / Norrie Montgomery