Culture

Björk Baps Photographer in Auckland Airport

by Jarrett Martineau | January 14, 2008 at 09:22 am

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Some stars live to be in the flashbulb spotlight of the paparazzi, but others have little patience for photo-hungry journos. Björk is apparently one of the latter.

Icelandic pop singer Bjork attacked a news photographer in New Zealand, ripping his shirt in half after he ignored a request not to snap any shots, the New Zealand Herald reported on Monday.

The incident took place at Auckland International Airport on Sunday, after the musician had flown in for a concert later in the week, the paper said. It echoes an outburst at Bangkok's airport in 1996, when Bjork unleashed her fury on a journalist.

Glenn Jeffrey, a photographer with the Herald, told the paper Bjork was accompanied by a man who asked him not to take photographs.

"I took a couple of pictures and I got about three or four frames of her ... and as I turned and walked away she came up behind me, grabbed the back of my black skivvy (sweatshirt) and tore it down the back," he said. "As she did this she fell over, she fell to the ground. At no stage did I touch her or speak with her."

Bjork said nothing during the confrontation, but her companion pleaded with her to stop, Jeffrey said.

The Herald's Web site reported later that neither the newspaper nor Jeffrey plans to file charges against Bjork, and an Auckland police spokesman said it was not investigating the incident.

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Swan

at 10:25 on January 14th, 2008

It always amazes me how celebrities think that they can be rude and violent with journalists, just by virtue of their public status. I admit that some journalists (mainly paparazzi) get way too pushy in their quest for a story, but snapping a photograph from a distance is not being pushy.

It's getting to the point where journalists will also have to be paid 'danger money' just to survive in their chosen occupation. Of course those of us that are freelance, wouldn't even be able to receive such remuneration.

There's an onus on both sides here - the journalist needs to back off, or find other means, if he can't get a story or photo by legal means - and celebrities need to realize that we're just doing our jobs.

All celebrities think that they're the roughest and toughest when it comes to the media and that they have rights not extended to others.

Well you can just think again oh famous ones.....

~ Swan