Naomi Campbell Arrested In London

LONDON, England --

Supermodel Naomi Campbell was arrested at Heathrow airport in London earlier today, according to reports out of Britain.

A spokesperson for the international airport told the UK’s Sky News, “I can confirm that a passenger on board a British Airways flight was removed by police.”

The British news channel claimed a source told them that Campbell is likely being held on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.

Passengers claimed the 37-year-old supermodel was aggressive, rude and abusive to flight staff during the incident, which occurred around 4:30 PM local time, the UK’s Press Association reported.

Cambell was cuffed while on the plane, witnesses said. The flight had not taken off from Terminal 5.

Additionally, the Press Association reported there may have been some trouble with Campbell’s luggage.

Terminal 5 has been a problem for many Heathrow passengers this week with over 20,000 bags going missing and more than 400 British Airways flights canceled.

Today’s run in with the law is not Campbell’s first.

She was accused of abusing Georgina Galanis, a woman who served as her assistant for just over a week in 1998.

In a lawsuit filed in New York Supreme Court in 1998, Galanis claimed the supermodel verbally abused her, hit her twice with a telephone, destroyed some of her clothing and threatened to not only get her deported, but eject her out of a moving vehicle on to a “busy highway.”

Campbell struck a plea deal with authorities who arrested her over the Toronto based incident.

She pled guilty and after expressing remorse over the incident and was let off without a criminal record or punishment.

In 2006, another former assistant of the supermodel’s – Amanda Brack also filed a lawsuit against Campbell claiming abuse.

Brack accused Campbell of assault, battery, false imprisonment and infliction of emotional distress, in her civil suit, citing incidents, she claimed occurred in 2005.

In April of last year Campbell settled with Brack.

Campbell was also arrested in March 2006 in New York City, and charged with assault after allegedly throwing her cell phone at a housekeeper.

The incident was reportedly sparked when the supermodel accused the woman of stealing a pair of Campbell’s jeans.

Campbell eventually pled guilty to misdemeanor assault and served community service in New York.

Copyright 2008 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

• PRINT