Elderly woman hit in Denise Richards on-set rampage

By Stone Martindale Nov 9, 2006, 19:22 GMT

Denise Richards EPA/PETER FOLEY

The Vancouver Sun is reporting that Hollywood actress Denise Richards hit an 80-year-old woman in a wheelchair with at least one flying laptop Wednesday while battling paparazzi during the filming of her new movie at the River Rock Casino in Richmond.

Richmond RCMP spokesman Cpl. Peter Thiessen said Richards chucked two laptops belonging to uninvited paparazzi who were on set of Blonde and Blonder, the film Richards is currently shooting with Canadian Pamela Anderson.

"Denise Richards recognized them [the photographers] and took exception," said Thiessen, who said he didn't know why Richards had a violent outburst.

"She grabbed their two laptops and threw them off a balcony," he added, noting there appeared to be a history between Richards and the photographers.

Thiessen said the 80-year-old woman was one floor below Richards when she was hit. 

Thiessen added that the paparazzi called the police after the hotel staff confiscated their laptops, and refused to return them.

"We had an unauthorized entry of some individuals onto the set of Blonde and Blonder, which is currently shooting on our property," said Howard Blank, vice-president of the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation that owns River Rock in a statement to the Vancouver Sun.

"The alleged incident was some people coming onto the film set unauthorized and there was a bit of a ruckus," he said, adding the incident happened at about 6 p.m.

Thiessen said representatives of the film company agreed to pay for damages to the laptops and that no charges are going to be laid by anyone involved in the incident.