Louis Tomlinson was arrested after getting into a fight at the airport
Though One Direction is currently on a break, the persistence of boy band fame never truly goes away. Just ask One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson, who was arrested Friday, March 3 after allegedly getting into a fight with a paparazzo. According to TMZ, the “Just Hold On” singer was arriving at LAX when a pap got too close for Louis’ comfort at baggage claim. The two got into a physical altercation, which ended in both Louis and the pap on the floor.
Reports have said that Louis allegedly pulled the paparazzo to the floor, but a video of the events on Radar Online show him falling back and the pap catching his weight on the way down. However, there are multiple interpretations of the incident, and you can see it for yourself here: false
Claims that Louis was protecting his on-and-off girlfriend Eleanor Calder have emerged, as the video shows two girls getting into a separate altercation with her.
Shocked @Louis_Tomlinson was arrested. Vid clearly shows he pulls 2 girls off his gf & a pap trips. Even asks staff for help.Wrongful arrest
— Ben Winston (@benwinston) March 5, 2017
Despite this, the singer was arrested on a simple battery charge and booked by LAPD. Us Weekly reported that he was released on his own recognizance, and posted a statement from Tomlinson’s lawyer, Martin Singer.
“The paparazzi provoked and caused an altercation that occurred with Louis at the airport this morning. This is not the first or last time that a paparazzi has created an altercation with a celebrity.”
Louis’ “Just Hold On” collaborator Steve Aoki tweeted out his support for Louis, saying that he wished paps respected personal space.
U can still do your job without having to put your camera literally in someone's face.
— Steve Aoki (@steveaoki) March 4, 2017
However you feel about this incident, Tomlinson isn’t the only celeb who has had a negative run in with paparazzi, and unfortunately, he probably won’t be the last. Celebrity culture is a dangerous game, and the horrific stories that people on the other side of the lens share are ones that we should take note of while consuming media.
