britney spears vs paparazzi

World Updates
Wednesday August 1, 2007


Britney Spears accused of threatening to kill paparazzi outside Las Vegas spa

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Britney Spears threw a baby bottle and threatened two photographers after they took pictures of her leaving a Las Vegas spa, the photographers said in a statement.

Spears yelled "I am going to kill you!'' and cursed at Andrew Deetz, a photographer who says he was beaten by Spears' bodyguard on Thursday, according to a statement released Tuesday by Deetz's lawyers.

Deetz, 24, is preparing to sue, his lawyers said. The other photographer involved was Kyle Henderson, 23. They both work for a celebrity photography company called Flynet Pictures, which sells to such publications as People and US Weekly, according to Daniel Kogan, a spokesman for Deetz's lawyers.

The men were taking pictures of Spears, 25, as she and her children _ 22-month-old Sean Preston Federline and 10-month-old Jayden James Federline _ left the spa at the Wynn Las Vegas casino-hotel around 11:30 a.m., accompanied by two bodyguards.

One bodyguard, Cesar Julio Camera, 37, pushed Henderson against the wall until Wynn security intervened and asked Henderson to leave, the statement said.

As they were about 30 paces away and walking in the opposite direction, Camera attacked Deetz from behind, threw him on the ground and punched and kicked him until security pulled him off, it said.

Afterward, Spears ran toward Henderson but was stopped by security, and then threw a baby bottle at him, it said.

Then, in front of several other hotel guests and bystanders, Spears threatened to kill Deetz and said he should get a restraining order against her because she was going to kill him or hire someone that would, it said.

Camera also told Deetz on July 23 outside the Lisa Kline boutique in Beverly Hills, "I have unfinished business with you,'' the statement alleged. Spears' lawyer Gary Stiffelman declined to comment. Wynn Las Vegas released a statement confirming that Spears stayed at the hotel and left on Thursday, but also declined to discuss the confrontation.

"We respect the privacy and do our utmost to maintain the anonymity of our guests,'' it said.

Las Vegas police issued a summons for a charge of battery to Camera, the only person cited. He could face up to six months in county jail and a $1,000 (euro730) fine if convicted.

Stiffelman's office would not relay messages to Camera seeking comment, and The Associated Press was unable to find a phone number for him. - AP