Supermodel in yet another alleged bang up
LONDON: British supermodel Naomi Campbell – currently facing assault charges in the United States – was released on police bail early Thursday over claims she attacked her drugs counsellor in London.
The 36-year-old catwalk star was arrested at an address in the Westminster area of central London at 1:20 p.m. on Wednesday and taken for questioning.
She was released on bail shortly after 1:00 a.m. Thursday and told to report to police on an undisclosed date later this month, London s Metropolitan Police said without naming Campbell.
Campbell s spokesman said late Wednesday that he believed there had been a misunderstanding, adding: We are sure it will all be sorted out when the police investigate.
The claims appeared in a front-page story of The Sun tabloid, which said the unnamed shaken therapist walked into a police station and said Campbell had scratched her all over her face, prompting a raid on the star s home.
Campbell is one of the world s most recognisable faces having worked with several major designers, including Ralph Lauren, Versace and Dolce and Gabbana.
Discovered at the age of 15, she rose to become the first black model to appear on the covers of Time magazine and the French and British editions of Vogue. She has also made forays into the world of music, film and literature, but to significantly less acclaim.
But in recent years, her career has been overshadowed by a string of assault claims and a drug problem for which she has sought counselling at Narcotics Anonymous.
She was charged with second degree assault in New York earlier this year over claims that she threw a mobile telephone at her housekeeper.
Campbell has pleaded not guilty but if the case goes to trial, she faces a possible seven-year jail term if convicted.
Another of Campbell s former employees has filed a separate lawsuit, accusing the model of personal injury, employment discrimination and assault, prompting claims from her lawyer that she was a victim for opportunists.
In 2000, she pleaded guilty to assaulting another assistant by grabbing her by the throat and hitting her on the head, again with a telephone. She was given an absolute discharge following a deal struck between her lawyers and prosecutors.
In an effort to control her temper, Campbell at one point booked herself into an anger-management clinic in Arizona – a move she later explained during a television interview with US broadcaster Barbara Walters.
Anger is a manifestation of a deeper issue … and that, for me, is based on insecurity, self-esteem and loneliness, Campbell said.
