The News Corp chairman and chief executive was towards the end of his evidence session alongside his son James when a man appeared from the public gallery toward the rear of the room and attempted to put a paper plate loaded with what appeared to be shaving foam in the face of the eighty-year-old media mogul.
Others sitting in the gallery restrained the man and as police officers rushed in to detain him, Murdoch senior's wife Wendi, who had been seated in the front row, slapped the man in the face.
Rupert Murdoch appeared unhurt as a result of the incident, the session restarted behind closed doors after a 10 minute hiatus.
, who was in the room at the time, believes the man came from behind Murdoch carrying "something like shaving foam on a paper plate".
"He got it on Rupert Murdoch's face. The guy was covered in it as well. There was a bit of a skirmish," she said. "There was shock in the room [but now] everyone is angry.
"There was a group of them. [The police have also got] a tall bloke and a young girl.
"I've just spoken to a woman who claims there was another guy who seems to have been directing the protestors."
The evidence session was suspended while the man was led away by police.
It's understood that the select committee session, which is yet to here from former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks, will continue to hear evidence in private.
A man calling himself Jonnie Marbles seemed to claim responsibility for the attack on Twitter, posting an update that said: "It is a far better thing that I do now than I have ever done before #splat".
However, it is impossible at this stage to verify if he is the man responsible.
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