Paparazzi Ordered To Stay Away From Leo
Leonardo DiCaprio arrived in Israel with supermodel Bar Refaeli this weekend, creating a paparazzi storm that by Monday led to a scuffle outside the Western Wall.
On Monday, the pair eluded their pursuers and traveled to Jerusalem, eventually visiting the Western Wall and its subterranean tunnels in the Old City, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.
But the visit turned violent upon their exit, when the couple's bodyguards scuffled with photographers.Photos: Leo Under Cover In Israel
"The paparazzi were totally out of control, essentially swarming them," a representative for DiCaprio told The Showbuzz. "Security gets (DiCaprio and Rafaeli) in the van and gets the paparazzi out of the way so they can pull out," he said.
Some journalists complained that their equipment was damaged. On the other hand, DiCaprio's rep said the paparazzi damaged the van in the process.
The rep said the altercation began after the couple left the scene.
"There were some security guards left outside the car," he said. "There was an altercation with a small group, possibly seven that were still there. Then the paparazzi went to the cops and said they were assaulted by two security guards. So, police brought the two security guards down to the local station (where cops) determined the guards did nothing wrong and then released them."
CBS News has confirmed that a restraining order was taken out against four of the paparazzi, who are not allowed to go near DiCaprio or Refaeli.
The 32-year-old Oscar nominee and Refaeli, 21, have been romantically linked for about a year, and Israeli papers regularly run breathless updates on their relationship, tinged with pride that a local girl snagged an A-list Hollywood heartthrob.
The two apparently hoped to slip into the country unnoticed on a night flight from Frankfurt, Germany. But the plane was also carrying a group of Israeli entertainment reporters on their way back from a press junket in Ireland.
More than anything, Pines said, Israelis are happy for a diversion from the coverage of the conflict in the region.
"The fact that most of the headlines here recently haven't been pleasant turns the interest in this beautiful fairy tale couple into something the media can revel in," Pines said.
DiCaprio has received Oscar nominations for his roles in "What's Eating Gilbert Grape," "The Aviator" and "Blood Diamond." Refaeli is featured in Sports Illustrated magazine's recent swimsuit issue.