Charming, Loveable Hugh Grant Arrested for Assault; Hair Still Incredible

April 26, 2007

British actor Hugh Grant has been arrested in London for allegedly assaulting a paparazzo.

The loveable bloke is said to have lashed out at photographer Ian Whittaker on the morning of April 24 when the shutterbug took Grant’s picture in west London, Associated Press reports.

The actor is alleged to have said to Whittaker, “I hope your kids die of fucking cancer,” before hurling a can of baked beans at the photographer and then launching into a barrage of swearing and kicking.

Grant's lawyers have confirmed an incident had occurred and was now under investigation.

London police have confirmed an arrest but didn’t identify the suspect.

“A 46-year-old man was arrested in connection with allegations of assault on a 43-year-old man following an incident in west London … He has been bailed to return, pending further inquiries, to a police station on a date in May,” a spokeswoman for the London police told AFP.

Website TMZ has photos of the incident, which show a baseball-cap-wearing Grant apparently about to throw a container and also about to kick at a man with a camera.

British gossip site the Daily Snack spoke with Whittaker about the incident.

“It looked like [Grant] had been out for a morning jog,” Whittaker told the website. “I asked him if he would give me a smile because he was standing with his head down. But he must have been having a bad hair day [editor: Impossible!] because he started chasing me down the street.

“He gave me a couple of kicks in the legs and I think he kneed me.”

The photographer also alleges Grant then picked up a container of baked beans and tossed it at him.

Whittaker then alleged that the actor, when told that Whittaker had a family, made the not-so-nice comments about his children.

“That really upset me and is why I went to the police to make a complaint of assault against him. He was out of order,” said Whittaker.