Mark Wahlberg is considering taking legal action against bosses of a public aquarium in San Diego, California, after a "giant" captive octopus attacked his son.
The Hollywood actor and his model wife Rhea Durham were on family holiday with their four kids, but the trip took a frightening turn at the Sea Life Aquarium in Carlsbad - when an aggressive sea creature latched on to Durham, their four-year old son Michael, and the family's tour guide.
Wahlberg recalled the incident during an interview on David Letterman's late night U.S. TV show on Thursday (05Aug10).
He said: "We have a tour guide so she's like, 'You have a special treat today, we'll be able to take you behind the tank and you'll be able to see the octopus...' So this women pulls out this gigantic octopus, the thing latches on to my son's arm. It's got my wife, (it's) wrapped completely around the lady, and another guy's just standing there. They can't get this octopus off.
"My son is freaking out but no sound is coming out of his mouth. So finally we rip the thing off of him. He's got all these suction marks that look like about 30 little hickeys (bruises). The lady can't get out, she's yelling for help... He (the aquarium manager) said it's never been that aggressive."
But as the audience laughed at Wahlberg's dramatic storytelling, Letterman urged the actor to take legal action - and the star admitted he may soon be filing suit.
He said: "We haven't filed yet but if you could recommend a good lawyer... Once the woman who handles the octopus starts freaking out I knew there was a problem. She couldn't even get away from the thing. She had to have help come running in. Once I got my kid out of there I said, 'Let's go!' I left the lady there. That's her problem."