Zac Efron ‘punched in the mouth’ in street fight after visiting ‘skid row’ area of Los Angeles after dark

The High School Musical star was allegedly embroiled in a downtown melee with his bodyguard

Actor Zac Efron (Getty Images)

Zac Efron was reportedly embroiled in a street fight after venturing into the dangerous 'skid row' area of Los Angeles after dark.

The former High School Musical star was allegedly 'punched in the mouth' and violently assaulted by a "transient" when he and his bodyguard ran into hot water on a night out.

According to US gossip site TMZ, a police car was on patrol under the Harbour Freeway when they spotted Efron and a man the actor identified as his bodyguard.

The pair were reportedly seen in "a full-blown melee with at least three other people" by the police.

The source goes on to confirm that nobody was charged for the incident, because police regarded the skirmish as "mutual combat".

A representative for Efron is, however, yet to confirm or deny the reports.

Last year, Efron revealed that he had spent two consecutive stretches in a rehabilitation centre for drug abuse.

He also broke his jaw in a freak household accident which saw his face collide with a fountain.

"I was running through my house and I slipped and fell on my face," Efron, 25, said during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live in January.

"Let me start over, because the story starts kind of cool," he continued.

"I have a fountain in my house. That's kind of dope, right? So I was running through and slipped on water and hit my chin on the fountain in my house. It's not a big fountain, but it's a fountain in my house."

His younger brother Dylan was on hand to rush him to hospital at the time, where he had his entire jaw wired shut.

"It was pretty gnarly," Efron said of the experience. "I was drinking foods for six weeks - only liquid foods. It sucked. I lost, like, 10-12 pounds."