The 35-year-old comedian was taken into custody at Los Angeles international airport for a misdemeanour charge of simple battery. Brand was released from LAPD’s Pacific Division after posting $20,000 (£12,800) bail.
The victim, a paparazzo who was not identified, placed Brand under citizen’s arrest, an airport police spokeswoman said. The alleged attack was first reported by TMZ, which posted video of the altercation. It occurred as Brand and his fiancee, singer Katy Perry, were surrounded by paparazzi as they entered the terminal that houses Delta airlines. Brand has made no comment about the incident.
Shortly after the incident, Perry tweeted: “If you cross the line & try an put a lens up my dress, my fiancé will do his job & protect me.”
Brand had flown to LA to be with Perry for their one-year anniversary. The couple were reportedly returning to New York together when the incident occurred.
Brand is no stranger to controversy. He was sacked as an MTV presenter after turning up to work on 12 September 2001 dressed as Osama bin Laden and resigned from the BBC following the Sachsgate incident in 2008 where he and TV presenter Jonathan Ross left a series of lewd messages on the answering machine of the actor Andrew Sachs about his granddaughter, Georgina Baillie.
He recently starred in the film Get Him to the Greek and will next appear on the big screen as Trinculo in a version of The Tempest and the title character in a remake of the 1981 comedy Arthur, which originally starred Dudley Moore.
Check out this video of the incident.
Great article, Thanks author!