Gossip queen Perez Hilton (real name Mario Lavandeira) long ago crossed the line from writing about celebrities to trying to be one himself. Sunday night was no exception. After a Much Music Awards afterparty in Toronto, Mr. Lavandeira accused will.i.am of assaulting him and then tweeted relentlessly about it, asking his Twitter followers to call police.
I'm in shock. I need the police ASAP. Please come to the SoHo Metropolitan Hotel now. Please.
I was assaulted by Will.i.Am of the Black Eyed Peas and his security guards. I am bleeding. Please, I need to file a police report. No joke.
Still waiting for the police. The bleeding has stopped. I need to document this. Please, can the police come to the SoHo Met Hotel.
I spoke to my lawyer. I really need to talk to the authorities. Please come to the SoHo Met Hotel. Have called the police. Need them here.
The Toronto police are here now. Thank you. Please stop calling them.
Will.i.am then started his own Twitter account "because it isn't cool for someone to blame you and blast you with lies." He tweeted:—
perez hilton is a liar... http://dipdive.com/member/i...
He posted a video that told a different story on his Dipdive web site. He said that Mr. Lavandiera twisted the story:
I was the one that came to him with respect and he's the one who called me a f*ggot outside the club. ...
I hit you, Perez? Come on, dude. I didn't hit you. Dude, apparently you were bleeding outside the club. I was, like, next to you by a tree, waiting for my car. ...
And instead of calling the police, you tweeted that I assaulted you. Sounds like somebody who wants mad attention and is not really concerned about his health. ...
Shame on you, shame on your behavior, and that's just messed up. Peace.
Then Perez Hilton called will.i.am a liar and a coward. (See his video.)
In a later video, will.i.am said was fans who mixed it up with Mr. Lavandiera, not him or his bodyguards. At the end of the video, willi.i.am said people need to just lighten up and be more respectful:
People make a career from opinions, which is cool, but don't be disrespectful about it. And fans, don't get all crazy about it.
Here's will.i.am's second video, as copied to YouTube:
Whose story do you believe?