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Again Mike Tyson gets to sit back and wait for a ref's decision.

The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office is investigating the former heavyweight champ's Nov. 11 dustup with a photographer at LAX and will determine whether charges should be filed—against either Tyson or the shutterbug who allegedly buzzed around him until he snapped.

Tony Echevarria told police that Tyson assaulted him at the airport when he tried to get a picture, leaving him with a nasty cut on the forehead.

But Tyson's rep maintains that Echevarria followed the ex-boxer, who was fresh off a plane from London with his wife and daughter in tow, from one terminal to another and intentionally provoked him.

Both finger-pointing fellows were taken into custody on suspicion of battery. Tyson was released that night after posting $20,000 bail.

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The critically acclaimed documentary Tyson was a surprise hit last year. Check out our 2009 Holiday Movie Guide and predict what you think people will be remembering in 2010.

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For Mike Tyson, the best defense is a good offense—or in this case, an uppercut to a paparazzo's mug.

The fallen heavyweight champ is hitting back at allegations he intentionally beat down a shutterbug yesterday afternoon at Los Angeles International Airport, prompting police to take both men into custody for assault.

"Mr. Tyson was traveling with his wife and 10-month-old child without security when he was attacked by an overly aggressive paparazzi [sic]. The truth will reveal Mike acted in self-defense as a father protecting his child. We are confident justice will prevail," says Tyson's rep, Tammy Brook.

And besides, there was no ear-munching. He's got to get points for that, right?

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Mary Ann Owen/ZUMAPress.com

Mike Tyson. Now there is someone you want to piss off.

The former boxing champ was arrested Wednesday afternoon at Los Angeles International Airport after allegedly punching a paparazzo who was trailing him from terminal to terminal and, at one point, followed him into a bathroom.

Both men ended up in custody, however, after Tyson told police that the shutterbug had laid hands on him first to provoke him.

Always a good idea.

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FAME PICTURES

The Los Angeles District Attorney's Office has taken a pass on Sean Penn.

Allegations that the Oscar winner kicked and slugged a paparazzo who tried to snap a few shots of Penn at the Brentwood Country Mart have been referred to to the L.A. City Attorney's Office for consideration after prosecutors concluded that Penn's actions didn't constitute a felony.

The City Attorney's Office will determine whether the Milk star should face misdemeanor charges.

Shutterbug Jordan Dawes filed a battery report against Penn early last month, saying the hotheaded actor came at him kicking and screaming when he started taking photos of him from 50 feet away.

"I'm all bruised up…I empathize with the photographers now, I really do," Dawes told E! News at the time. "It's horrifying."

We say no wonder Penn keeps fleeing for places like Cuba.

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Whether you agree with Sean Penn's politics or not, he's convinced he's doing good, just like the celebs in our Do-Gooder Gallery.

Fame Pictures

Stop the international presses! Brad Pitt is kinda maybe sorta interested in buying himself another motorcycle.

This is the breaking news flash out of Tokyo this morning, where the Beautiful Bearded One is currently making the promotional rounds for Inglourious Basterds, which is finally opening in Japan.

"I had a little mishap," he explained when asked about his pavement-pounding, paparazzi-captured bike topple last week.

"No injuries, except my ego. I was trying to get away from some paparazzi and instead gave them a good story."

Actually, Brad, "good" may be overselling it a bit, but we'll assume that after three months on the publicity trail, any new talking point is welcomed with open arms.

"It was my favorite bike, so that is really sad."

Not Iraqi-refugees-in-Syria sad, mind you, but still a bit of a bummer. And a rather easily fixable one, at that.

"I will definitely be looking at motorcycles," he said. "You've got some of the best builders right here."

Something tells us this guy would beg to differ. But domo arigato all the same.

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Check out more hotties on hogs in our Easy Riders: Stars on Bikes gallery.

Fame Pictures Inc.

Nicole Richie wants the paparazzi off her back and off her bumper.

The ticked-off celeb obtained temporary restraining orders today against two shutterbugs she says caused her fender-bender earlier this month and have been following her for some time.

"She claims they harassed and stalked her and were involved in the car accident in the beginning of month," Los Angeles Superior Court spokeswoman Vania Stuelp told E! News Friday.

Eduardo Cerri Arrivabene and Ivon Emilio Melo Miguel are required to stay at least 100 yards away from Richie's children, staff, home and vehicles. A hearing on the matter is set for Nov. 16.

The Simple Life alumna suffered minor injuries in the Oct. 5 smashup. She was seen tearfully talking to boyfriend Joel Madden's brother, Benji, after he arrived at the scene to help out.

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Oh, those troublesome paparazzi! Then again, without them, we wouldn't have all of these...

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Finally, some good news for Kanye West.

A court commissioner has agreed to drop all charges against the act-first, think-later rapper stemming from his airport altercation with paparazzi last fall.

In exchange for the misdemeanor-free rap sheet, West has agreed to complete 50 hours' community service, which he will fulfill, per attorney Blair Berk, by volunteering at the Taylor Swift Appreciation Society American Red Cross.

Berk also confirmed during the hearing that West had voluntarily completed 12 hours of anger-management classes in his efforts to make reparations for what turned out to be the first of several not-so-uncharacteristic outbursts.

"I'm very pleased that the court granted a dismissal of all the charges," Berk told reporters outside the courthouse.

It's safe to say that wasn't the consensus.

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Caution: Paparazzi in mirror are closer than they appear.

A security car trailing a vehicle that was carrying Michael Jackson's three children was rear-ended by a photographer this afternoon in Los Angeles, TMZ reports.

Prince Michael, Paris and Blanket are said to be fine, though we feel they're a little young to be experiencing the Hollywood starlet treatment.

Lindsay Lohan, for instance, was famously involved in several smashups caused by overeager paparazzi who just couldn't seem to stay off the girl's fender.

Luckily, the Jackson brood had a whole other vehicle between them and the offending photog, who took off before police arrived at the crash site, which was just a few miles away from the Jacksons' compound in Encino. A hit-and-run report was filed close to 2:30 p.m.

Earlier this month, a judge determined that the kids were doing "wonderfully" under the care of their grandmother Katherine.

She knew enough to arrange for that extra layer of vehicular paparazzi protection, didn't she?

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Can't the paps just leave 'em alone? It would be a shame if the wee Jacksons end up in this gallery of celebs giving photogs the one-fingered salute.

Mike/Fame Pictures

Hitting Britney Spears one more time paid off.

The chart topper has settled a lawsuit brought against her by a paparazzo whose foot she ran over with her car outside a Beverly Hills medical building in 2007 (not to be confused with the feet she squished that year belonging to a sheriff's deputy and a different shutterbug), according to paperwork filed Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but Ricardo Mendoza, who was pounding the pavement when the accident occurred, had been seeking nearly $230,000 in damages and medical expenses.

Mendoza sued in May for an unspecified amount, then followed up with an amended complaint last month.

Perhaps it was the big round zeros that finally caught Britney's lawyers' attention.

Attorney Benjamin C. Alvarez's rebuttal papers had described Mendoza as a "self-serving, profit-hungry paparazzo" who "positioned and placed himself in the roadway in front of Ms. Spears' vehicle."

We're glad Britney's apparent foot fetish is behind her. It's so much more fun critiquing her sartorial choices in our Fashion Spotlight.

Nicole Richie's lucky she didn't have any babies on board.

The celebutante is nursing what appear to be minor injuries after her Range Rover was dinged by a pursuing paparazzo in Beverly Hills.

"She was rear-ended," BHPD Lt. Tony Lee tells E! News, adding that the accident occurred around 2 p.m. "There was a complaint of pain injury. She told officers at the scene that she's going to seek her own medical treatment."

Benji Madden was spotted on scene comforting her after the rough ride. But Richie, who just welcomed her second child last month, apparently left boyfriend Joel Madden home with newborn Sparrow and Harlow.

No ambulances were called and the damage to the vehicles was described as minimal (scratches and dents on the bumper), though Richie appeared to be crying afterward while sitting in the driver's seat, talking to Joel. Her mom, Brenda, showed up while police were still there and got into the car, apparently to console her daughter.

When asked if Nicole was OK, she replied, "No, no she's not."

The shutterbug behind the bust-up was cited for being an unlicensed driver and his jeep was impounded.

Tony Barson/Getty Images

On the bright side, it looks like Sean Penn's pretty limber for a guy pushing 50.

But about that high kick to a paparazzo...

Flynet Pictures is claiming that the two-time Oscar winner "attacked" one of its shooters. Penn, the agency alleges, "emerged from his truck and walked over 50 feet towards the photog and kicked and punched him without provocation.

"Penn also berated the photog with obscenities and shouted that he would 'put you in a box' to the photog before going back to his house."

The photog "suffered multiple cuts and bruises from the attack, has filed a police report and is considering pressing charges for battery."

No word on whether a lawsuit is in the works, but in cases like this, a police report can be a precursor to a civil action.

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