14 DAY TRIAL // There is never an easy way to decide which is the limit that paparazzi must not cross when it comes to taking pictures and video of the stars they see out and about, on their personal spare time, though one law attempts to do just that. The latest celeb vs. paps feud comes from Blink 182’s Travis Barker, who got into a very aggressive spat with paparazzi, which ended in a few tires being slashed, a camera phone gone missing and cops’ intervention, as TMZ informs.
It’s not certain what started the bitter exchange of words between Travis and his entourage, on one side, and two paps on the other, but it did not go well at all. According to the photographers themselves and the video they made available online (see below for that), Travis lashed out at them for no reason. Even more, he stood by the side while two members of his entourage slashes the tires of their car, then got into his own ride and left. Cops were called but neither party would file a complaint against the other.
“TMZ has obtained crazy video of Travis Barker and his friends threatening paparazzi outside a Calabasas restaurant – spitting at the photogs, hitting the camera and, allegedly, slashing a photog’s tires. In the video, Travis starts out by screaming, ‘Where’s your homeboy?’ As we first reported, Travis got into it with a photographer on his way into the restaurant – but neither of the two photogs in the video are that guy. The photogs claim one of their phones was stolen. When one of the photogs confronts Travis’ friends about the phone, a guy can be heard saying, ‘[expletive-]ing snitch [expletive] mother[expletive], no one has your [expletive] [expletive] phone.’ After a few more minutes of arguing, and the arrival of cops, a photog noticed his tires were slashed,” TMZ writes.
As per the two paps, Travis and his friends’ attack came unprovoked, because they had nothing to do with the third photog that got into a scuffle with him earlier that day. Moreover, they were only doing their job, sitting in their car taking pictures and certainly not harassing or disturbing anybody. Travis, on the other hand, has a different version of the story, starting from claims that the paps edited the video to show only their side of the story to how they were actually stalking him and – most importantly – his children as they were having breakfast.
“When I’m out at breakfast at 8am in the morning the last thing I appreciate is some photographer threatening me 2 a fight while he’s 3 deep. What happened to the tough guys with the cameras? It was gonna be a fair fight.. 3 against 3? I mean i weigh a buck 40, your 200lbs and 6’6. Bottom line, take photos at red carpets. Take pics of hungry hollywood starlets and douche bags that are out at clubs and bars that like it. Bottom line I don’t. I’m not a socialite out begging for that kind of attention. I’m a family man out wit my kids. Don’t get the 2 twisted,” Barker tweeted, explaining his behavior towards the photographers.
Even with such a seemingly solid defense, there are many who say the video made available through TMZ shows no indication it was cut and edited to present an altered version of the incident. Below is the video, check it out and judge for yourselves. *Please note that it includes strong language.