Kanye West charged with battery, theft in paparazzi incident

Rapper Kanye West has been charged with misdemeanor battery and attempted grand theft in connection with a July 19 incident at Los Angeles International Airport, a spokesman for the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office said Friday.

West, who does not hold back when it comes to his hostile feelings toward paparazzi, can be seen on video obtained by TMZ leaving the airport. As the rapper walks toward a waiting car, he stopped to argue with one of several photographers standing at the curb. The video shows West grabbing a photographer and forcing him to the ground.

The photographer, Daniel Ramos, filed a lawsuit against West in August. Ramos, who is represented by attorney Gloria Allred, claimed his right hip was injured when the rapper punched him in an unprovoked attack and wrestled his camera to the ground. The lawsuit claims assault, battery, negligence and violation of civil rights.

"I told him twice, 'I don't want to fight you,'" Ramos said at an August press conference. "However, he attacked me anyway."

West was charged with one count of battery and one count of grand theft, both misdemeanors that carry a maximum penalty of six months each, Frank Matelijan of the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office said. An arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 10.

This is not the first run-in West has had with paparazzi at LAX. West and his road manager, Don Crawley, were arrested at the airport in 2008 on felony vandalism charges after they confronted two paparazzi outside a screening area and smashed the men's cameras. West attended 12 hours of anger management and was sentenced to 50 hours of community service in that incident.

Nicole Kidman knocked over by photographer on bike

Freelance paparazzo Carl Wu ran into the star while riding on a bicycle outside the Carlyle Hotel on the upper East Side.

 

Nicole Kidman is supposedly pressing charges after a freelance paparazzo hit her as he was riding a bicycle on the sidewalk.

Kidman, 46, was returning to the Carlyle Hotel after attending the Calvin Klein show at New York's Fashion Week when photographer Carl Wu slammed into the starlet.

According to a witness for TMZ, Wu appeared to hit the brakes but didn't stop in time. A photographer at the scene told the gossip site that Kidman told Wu she wanted to press charges.

"She looked hurt, but there wasn't any blood," the witness said. "She put her shoes back on and ran into the Carlyle."

An ambulance arrived on the scene to check on the star.

TMZ reports that cops will write Wu a ticket for illegally riding his bicycle on the sidewalk but will not arrest him for anything more serious.