So you may have heard this story that Axl Rose allegedly got in a fight with some paparazzi at LAX the other day while on his way to board a flight to Taipei, Taiwan, where Guns N’ Roses are about to finally begin touring in support of Chinese Democracy more than a year after its release. I didn’t write anything about it when it was first reported because I thought it might just be a rumor; the police were apparently unable to confirm that this huge rock star had hit somebody in the middle of a crowded airport, and that struck me as, well, odd.

I have should known better. TMZ now has video of the fight – hoo-ray for the information age, when everyone has a camera!!! – and, yep, Axl hit the dude.

Now, I can’t see exactly what transpired just before the fight, but Axl does seem to yell “He hit my mother!” or something like that towards the end of the video. Since Axl’s mother has been dead for about thirteen years or so, I can only imagine he’s referring to his assistant, Beta Lebeis, who he has often said is the closest thing to a “real” mother he’s ever had.

Also noteworthy: when Axl yells for “Sebastian,” he doesn’t mean Bach – he means Lebeis’ son, who is also in his employ.

This guy is just such a fucking drama magnet I can’t believe it. I’m not saying he’s not to blame – I think he very much is to blame. No one is at the center of so much shit for no reason. I just can’t believe he hasn’t calmed down after all these years.

P.S.: Does it look to anyone else like he finally got rid of those corn-rows? Just wonderin’.

-AR

Thanks to all fifteen people who e-mailed me about this within seconds of it going up. Good to know someone besides me still gets off on Axl-related drama!