Shocking photos show airport brawl which led to One Direction star Louis Tomlinson’s ARREST ‘after punching and hurling female fan to the floor’
THESE shocking pictures show 1D superstar Louis Tomlinson in a vicious airport brawl which ended with his arrest for suspected assault.
Our exclusive pictures of the fight — taken from a 55-second video of the incident — also show him steaming into a brawl involving his girlfriend Eleanor Calder.
But pals say Eleanor, 24, was being attacked by three girls when Louis bolted over to help.
A source said: “He spotted Eleanor being attacked and rushed over to split them up.
“Eleanor had spotted them filming and asked them to stop, which is when they started fighting her and pushed her into a corner.
“Louis pulled them apart and in the process went flying on to the ground himself.
“All he was doing was defending his girlfriend.
“His focus was getting Eleanor and himself to safety.”
Louis had earlier knocked photographer Karl Larssen to the ground after touching down in LA with Eleanor on Friday night.
Footage shows him grappling with the lensman and trying to wrench his camera off him before both end up in a heap on the floor of baggage reclaim as startled travellers look on.
Karl was treated for concussion in hospital — but pals of Louis played down the confrontation.
The source added: “Louis got into an argument with the photographer when he refused to stop taking pictures of Eleanor.
“When he eventually walked away they bumped into each other and got tangled up.
“It’s clear that no assault took place.
“The video shows that.”
Passers-by are seen in the film jumping in to break up the scuffle and usher Louis and Eleanor away from the baggage area.
Tracksuited Louis, whose mum Johannah Poulston died aged 43 in December, was arrested on suspicion of battery and booked into an LA jail before being released to appear in court on March 29.
The source added: “Who knows whether Louis’s court date will end up taking place?
“This could very easily all be dropped.”
Louis’s lawyer Martin Singer defended the star, insisting he was provoked by the photographer.
Another airport source told The Sun: “The girls were sitting down and they were recording Eleanor.
“She asked them to stop and they didn’t.
“They were scuffling.
“Louis was trying to grab his girlfriend but it ended up being one of the other girls.
“The guy’s mum just died — he didn’t want to talk to anyone.
“We feel sorry for Louis, they should let him mourn in peace.
“There’s got to be some distance and personal space.”
The female victim, whose eye was cut in the fracas, was believed to be in hiding last night.
She was named online and received a barrage of death threats from enraged 1D fans.
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The woman told The Sun on Sunday that Louis was “going to jail” for what he did to her.
She was branded a “bitch” online and fake social media accounts were set up in her name.
A purported statement from the girl — believed to be fake — was also posted on Instagram.
One crazed fan tweeted Louis and said: “I’m so sorry for what happened to you today.
“I wish I was there to kill the pap and two girls.
“I don’t care if I get arrested.”
'HE THINKS GANG IS BEATING UP HIS GIRL'
THESE images are ugly, there’s no doubt about that.
No celebrity, especially a teen heart-throb like Louis Tomlinson, wants to be caught in a violent incident on camera, especially one involving a group of young girls at an airport. But having studied the video evidence closely, there is another side to this story. It is clear to me that Louis, having had a brief tussle with a paparazzi photographer, is coming to the aid of his girlfriend Eleanor Calder. In Louis’ head, she is being beaten up by some sort of gang. He has no idea if they are male or female. As bad as it looks now, his first instinct was to rush in and secure his girlfriend’s safety. Was there a better way to deal with this whole sorry episode? Of course. It’s madness that Louis, an emotionally volatile One Direction superstar, was entering LAX on his own. I also need to point out that this is a young man in the midst of the most extreme grief over the recent loss of his mother in utterly tragic circumstances. And, believe me, I am no apologist for Louis. Having known him since the start of 1D, I’ve always been the first to bring him down to earth publicly when that has become necessary. In this case, however, I actually feel desperately sorry for him.
- By Dan Wootton, Bizarre Editor