Jude Law hits female photographer outside of restaurant

**Mrs P** · July 23rd, 2009, 01:35 PM

Female photographer may go to police after feeling the long arm of Jude Law outside restaurant

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 5:15 PM on 23rd July 2009

A female photographer is today considering pressing charges against Jude Law after he hit her while leaving a central London restaurant in the early hour s of this morning.
The actor appeared to strike the 28-year-old paparazzo as she took pictures of him leaving a celebrity dinner party at Automat in Dover Street, Mayfair.
Harsha Gopal claimed the attack was unprovoked, and added: 'He hit me full on the face, it was a real stinger, it was very sore.'

Jude Law may face charges after he hit a female photographer while leaving a central London restaurant last night

A lawyer for Jude said the incident was 'an accident'

Jude was at a dinner hosted by movie director Christopher Nolan, where other guests included Leonardo DiCaprio, Jay-Z and singer Michelle Williams.
As he left the eatery at 1am he appeared to throw a hand towards Harsha's face, leaving her reeling away in pain.
She was among a group of other photographers who had assembled outside to catch the A-list crowd on their way out.
She added: 'It was really loud - there was a massive thud and my face is still stinging today. It was deliberate - you could see it in his face. Maybe he didn't realise he was hitting a girl, but he could at least apologise.'

Photographer Harsha Gopal taking pictures of Jude before the incident

Jude Law's lawyer Graham Shear today called the claims 'nonsense' and added: 'Last night's incident was an accident. Jude was blinded by the camera flashes when he left the restaurant, raised his hand to shield himself and inadvertently struck somebody standing very close. He apologised and left'
Harsha was resting up today and suffered no injuries, but is now considering whether to press charges against the 36-year-old.
Jude was arrested after allegedly assaulting a photographer near his Maida Vale home in 2007, although he denied the claims and the case was dropped.

Earlier in the evening Jude signed autographs for fanous outside Wyndham's Theatre where he is starring in Hamlet

Read more: Female photographer may go to police after feeling the long arm of Jude Law outside restaurant | Mail Online

**FlyByKnightRider** · July 23rd, 2009, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by Peike

A lawyer for Jude said the incident was 'an accident'

I can't tell whether that's a 'fuck off!' look or a 'oh shit! I just hit a lady!' look. Either way, Jude needs to take a chill pill.

**TheONe** · July 23rd, 2009, 01:43 PM

Douche bag!

**Sunrider** · July 23rd, 2009, 01:44 PM

Violence is always bad but sometimes paps really get in the face of people. Don't they care about personal space at all? She's right in front of him with huge flash - what was she thinking he would do?

**czb** · July 23rd, 2009, 01:46 PM

it sounds like jude is a douche. but let's be real here, the guy has spindly arms and even if he hit her with all 125 lbs of his body weight, would it have really hurt? she probably doesn't even have a bruise.

**kingcap72** · July 23rd, 2009, 02:16 PM

I wonder if Jude will make a Chris Brown style fake apology.

**celeb_2006** · July 23rd, 2009, 02:22 PM

No worries, it's her fault all the way, cuz, like, he's a celeb and deserves his privacy and peace, and she shouldn't have been in his face. So what if he smacks her, who cares if it's a lady, celebs deserve their privacy and space.

**Novice** · July 23rd, 2009, 02:25 PM

Nope he made a Chris-Brown-type of denial...

Law claims female photographer attack a 'nonsense'

PA

Thursday, 23 July 2009

Actor Jude Law today dismissed as "nonsense" an incident in which he was seen to apparently lash out at a female photographer.
The star, currently appearing in a West End run of Hamlet, described the encounter as an "accident".
Law was pictured with his arm raised as he passed the startled-looking woman while leaving the Automat club in Mayfair.
The 28-year-old photographer is reported to have said of the alleged blow: "It was a real stinger."
But Law's lawyer, Graham Shear, said today: "This is all nonsense. Last night's incident was an accident.
"Jude was blinded by the camera flashes when he left the restaurant, raised his hand to shield himself and inadvertently struck somebody standing very close. He apologised and left. Pictures of this sort can often be misleading."
Law, star of movies such as Closer and Alfie, is currently appearing at the Wyndham Theatre.

**albatross** · July 23rd, 2009, 02:36 PM

Well, from this other angle, it doesn't look intentional. Compared to everything else around, the light in his face does look pretty intense, and in the first picture, the light is coming from behind her, so if he's trying to block that, she's right in his way.

**heartlessstone** · July 23rd, 2009, 02:39 PM

Who cares if she's a girl? She's not there as a girl, but as a pap. These sort of scuffles happen all the time. I dont think stars should hit the paps, but I don't think that paps need to get so close to get a pic. It's a rough business; from what I understand they often fight with each other jockeying for position and will knock down bystanders to get a shot.

If he'd stopped and punched her--or thrown a can of beans at her--I'd feel that was actionable, but I'd feel that way regardless of the pap's gender.

**crackho** · July 23rd, 2009, 02:54 PM

I still don't get why celebrities just don't cooperate and pose for pictures for a few minutes and make nice, or stay low like Jodi Foster, Meryl Streep, and several others. I mean, he wanted to be a celebrity fame whore and this is part of that world when you go out in public. Don't like it? Can't control yourself? Drop out and move to Springfield where ever and have all the privacy you want.

**Sunrider** · July 23rd, 2009, 03:03 PM

crackho, I tend to agree with you - but if you step out from a dark room into the night and someone starts flashing you in your face and walks in front of you - I can understand why you would get annoyed with that and also try to get them out of your face. They don't need to be right in your face to get a photo of you.

**sputnik** · July 23rd, 2009, 03:11 PM

it's obvious in the second set of pics that he wasn't hitting, he just stretched his arm out to block the flash.
yeah, it's not nice to hit anyone but if i were a celeb, i'd be the one getting arrested for kicking paps in the nads with my stilettos. there is nothing i hate more than people crowding me and it would be even worse if there were flashes going off in my face. i'd totally lash out.

**crackho** · July 23rd, 2009, 09:24 PM

Originally Posted by sputnik

it's obvious in the second set of pics that he wasn't hitting, he just stretched his arm out to block the flash.
yeah, it's not nice to hit anyone but if i were a celeb, i'd be the one getting arrested for kicking paps in the nads with my stilettos. there is nothing i hate more than people crowding me and it would be even worse if there were flashes going off in my face. i'd totally lash out.

I stand there and let them take pictures all fucking night for the amount of money I'd be making. I think Britney had it right....I'd make them bring me coffee and by me some weed. Only unlike her, I'd fuck the cute ones...not some greasy slimeball with a landing strip on his chin.