Will Ferrell slams basketball in cheerleader's face before security drag him away

Will Ferrell slammed a cheerleader in the face with a basketball before being dragged off by security at the Pelicans-Lakers game on Wednesday.

The 47-year-old comedian was attempting a half court shot but chucked the basketball at a cheerleader’s face during the game at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.

Her fellow Pelican cheerleaders quickly rallied around her after she was knocked to the ground.

But viewers need not worry as the Anchorman actor was shooting a scene during half time for his new film Daddy’s Home, according to Sports Illustrated.

A description on IMDB of the film - which also stars Mark Wahlberg, Linda Cardellini and Hannibal Bures - reads: “When a divorced guy's ex-wife re-marries someone way more uptight, he re-enters her life and wreaks havoc."

Despite being a stunt for his new film, videos of the incident quickly went viral with social media users posting several clips of the shot from different angles.