Woody Harrelson Likens Paparazzo He Attacked To Zombie

LOS ANGELES — Woody Harrelson is likening a paparazzo he tussled with at a New York airport to one of the undead zombies he battles in his upcoming film.

In a statement released Friday, Harrelson jokingly compares the scrutiny of the paparazzi to the packs of undead he confronted in "Zombieland."

See the TMZ video of the attack.

"I wrapped a movie called `Zombieland,' in which I was constantly under assault by zombies, then flew to New York, still very much in character," Harrelson said. "With my daughter at the airport I was startled by a paparazzo who I quite understandably mistook for a zombie."

Celebrity gossip site TMZ posted a video on Thursday of Harrelson chasing one of their photographers who followed the actor and his 12-year-old daughter through LaGuardia Airport. TMZ said Harrelson broke the photographer's main camera, and the paparazzo is heard repeatedly accusing Harrelson of assault _ while he continued to follow the actor.

Another video shows the photographer asking Harrelson whether he is wearing hemp pants, and at another point mocking the actor for his role in "White Men Can't Jump."

Police took a report from the cameraman, who claimed Harrelson pushed a camera into his face. The man declined medical treatment, according to Port Authority spokesman Ron Marsico. Harrelson was not at the scene by the time police arrived, he said.

Harrelson, 47, has had run-ins with TMZ before. In 2006, TMZ photographer Josh Levine accused the Academy Award-nominated actor of choking him and breaking his camera in Los Angeles. Levine sued Harrelson in Los Angeles Superior Court. Harrelson is seeking to have the case dismissed.

Harrelson was nominated for best actor for his role in "The People vs. Larry Flynt," and recent screen credits include "No Country for Old Men" and "Seven Pounds."

Comments

[Larkinvos]

These stars make such a big deal out of all this.
Give me a break. All you've got to do is
stand there for a minute or two, let these guys
take a few shots, and get on with your life.

There's simply NO excuse for attacking these
paparazzi.

[LeeCalif]

I believe Harrelson !!

[Tulka2]

That paparazzo looked just exactly like a single minded zombie brain eater.

[jpmdevildog]

Police took a report from the zombie photographer, who claimed a broken camera and a missing right hand detached during the scuffle. The rotting extremity was later found underneath a train of luggage carts.

http://weeklyworldnews.com/celebs/7547/woody-harrelson-attacks-zombie/

[bigrob in austin]

I don't understand why TMZ was wasting their time on Harrelson.
Woody used to be a pretty cool star. Then all these juvenile angry outbursts.
If you can't play well with others, you should be separated from society.
He's a washed up has been who obviously can't control his emotions.

[LeeCalif]

signed,
TMZ cameraman

[avraamjack]

This proves that pot makes you mellow.

After a long flight with his daughter, poor Woody was obviously cannabis depleted.
.

[citizenx]

Woody is a public figure. The photog had every right to take those pics. Woody did not have the right to use force to "defend" himself unless the photog was threatening him. The bigger concern should be that if Woody truly was still in "character", as he is saying, was his daughter in danger? What if she resembled a zombie? If this excuse is made up to be funny, then he is guilty of assault. Take away that this person wanted to take a picture of Woody (what damage does that do to a person who is on film for a living?), assaulting someone is unlawful, period.

[WilliamL]

Wood is a private citizen who appears in movies.

[McFlipFlop]

Those photogs push cameras in your face, get in your space, and bait you by saying crap.

I wonder how you would react.

[devanate]

Woody rocks! Knock out those stupid zombies!

[devanate]

Oh and don't forget, you have to destroy the brain in order to stop them.

[MsYellowDog]

Takes one to know one.

[MikeCanada]

Maybe if these people stopped stalking people, they wouldn't get a punch in the head!

[sarahwaters]

TMZ harrasses people, what do you expect.

[LeeLoosMultiPass]

Wood was with his daughter. TMZ loves to whine when someone actually stands up for themselves. How would anyone of us like it if TMZ was in our face all the time. They need to be at a respectful distance, and not be intrusive. Woody and his daughter should be able to walk in an airport, just like you and I, without some jerk sticking a camera in our face, blocking our way, following on our heels.

We don't own celebrities. If they want to go on TV to promote a film or a book or a CD or a play, fine. But out in public, with their kids - leave them the heck alone....s­tay at a respectful distance. You can still get pictures - just stay out of their way.

[Bruupo]

TMZ stands for "Thirty Mile Zone"-

Which is a zone in the LA area where the laws allow the papparazi to photograph celebrities in public without restrictions or concern for privacy. The celebrities are aware of this, and usually consent to being photographed by even being in said area, and often have their publicity machines notify the papparazi about their movements, their choice of night spots, etc.

LaGuardia Airport in New York is NOT in the Thirty Mile Zone.

Any TMZ papparazo hassling anyone, kids or not, at LaGuardia, deserves to be treated as a zombie, or worse.

[kathy001]

Well said!

[avraamjack]

.

So much for the "weed makes you mellow" theory.
.

[Carcinogen]

It was a long flight. He must have been "Jones-in".

[devanate]

Unfortunately, you can't smoke weed on the airplane.

[Slapmewhenitsover]

No win situation.

However, the freaks who take these intrusive jobs are to be abhorred by a civilized society.

Are we living in a civilized society?

[Mattie]

what about a society that pays to read stories about celebrities, the paparazzi wouldn't exist, if there was a market for it. The people who buy the magazines and watch the shows make up "civilized society".

[up420oz]

PEPER SPRAY THE FREAKS, and do it in "Self-Defence"