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Leona Lewis in tears after being punched in the face by a male fan at book signing
Leona Lewis was punched in the face at a book signing yesterday.
Leona Lewis was punched in the face at a book signing yesterday.
The 24-year-old star needed treatment for a cut to her face after she was assaulted in front of hundreds of horrified fans at a London bookstore.
A man was last night in custody on suspicion of causing actual bodily harm.
Miss Lewis, who won The X Factor in 2006, was signing copies of her autobiography Dreams at Waterstone's in Piccadilly.
The star had been at the shop for more than an hour when the man, who was waiting in the queue, suddenly lashed out at her.
One fan told the BBC: 'My brother saw the whole incident.
'He [the attacker] walked up there with the book, she signed it and, as she looked up, he just punched her.'
Another witness said her attacker yelled: 'I love you, Leona' - and she screamed back: 'I don't love you.'
A separate bystander added: 'I heard Leona cry out in pain and she was quickly led off by her security as more security guards and fans restrained the man until police arrived.
'She had sunglasses on and even though she had her face in her hands you could see she was clearly crying and her face was swollen.
'The worst thing is that the man was grinning - he thought it was funny.'
The man is described as over 6ft, skinny, with mousy brown long hair. He was wearing scruffy jeans and a jacket.
A spokesman for Miss Lewis, who witnessed the attack, said he did not hear the man say anything.
He confirmed the singer had suffered bruising to the side of her head and was taken to a private doctor in Central London as a precaution.
Miss Lewis was signing books when the incident happened
The spokesman added that Miss Lewis was left feeling 'shaken', adding: 'Leona is absolutely gutted that she did not get the signings finished.
'This guy whacked her one in the face, and she was sitting down and he was standing up, so you couldn't get more cowardly.'
Miss Lewis had been due to appear on BBC1’s The One Show after the signing at Piccadilly in central London, but her appearance was cancelled and Gaby Logan stepped in.
The star has been based in Los Angeles while she worked on her new album.
But she returned to the UK ahead of her first ever full UK show, on November 2. She will perform at the Hackney Empire in front of 1,250 fans.
Miss Lewis, who sold six million copies of her debut album around the world, will release her album, Echo, a fortnight later.
Although she is yet to play a proper UK show, Miss Lewis has played a number of high profile events including Nelson Mandela's 90th Birthday Concert at Hyde Park.
She also played the closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics in 2008, alongside Jimmy Page.
Before the signing, the singer said she was 'excited' about her new album and was looking forward to her concert next month.
She added: 'That's really exciting for me, going back to Hackney Empire.
'I won my first show there when I was 13 and it's good to go back and give the people of Hackney, and everywhere, something to be proud of.'
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: 'We were called at 4.35pm to reports of assault against a woman at the Waterstone's store in Piccadilly Circus. We have arrested a male on suspicion of ABH.'
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