Israel's Fledgling Paparazzi Industry Arrives After First Official Pummeling By Leo's Bodyguard
Leonardo DiCaprio may have emerged mostly empty-handed from awards season, but it's difficult to feel sorry for the notorious supermodel collector, who's rarely spotted without some kind of trophy in his hand. Things have gotten off to a not-so-great start on a trip to Israel, the homeland of the actor's girlfriend, model Bar Refaeli. The trouble started when they realized their secret flight into town was packed with Israeli entertainment journalists; shockingly, word of their arrival soon got out, and the couple has since been besieged by what can only be referred to as LeoBarMania!:
By the time the two headed for Refaeli's family's home in an upscale Tel Aviv suburb, it was besieged by dozens of photographers desperate for a glimpse of the two.
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 waiting outside. A number of journalists said they were punched and their equipment damage [sic].
It's unfortunate that what many consider the holiest site on the planet should so quickly devolve into a scene more typical of a Saturday night outside Koi. Even the ultraorthodox worshippers nearby dropped their davining to encircle the melée, cheering on the combatants as they excitedly waved shekels in their hands. Once the bodyguards were restrained and taken into custody, however, the Western Wall paparazzi dusted themselves off, and, pros that they are, went back to work on their usual detail, staking out the area for that elusive money-shot: A photo of God without underwear.