Naomi Campbell pleads guilty to cell-phone assault

By SAMUEL MAULL

NEW YORK — Naomi Campbell pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault today for hitting her maid with a cell phone over a pair of missing jeans.
"I threw a cell phone in the apartment. The cell phone hit Ana," the supermodel told Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Robert Mandelbaum. "This was an accident because I did not intend to hit her."

If convicted at trial, Campbell, who originally had been charged with second-degree felony assault, could have been sentenced to two to seven years in prison.

Campbell, 36, hit Ana Scolavino in the back of the head with the phone in Campbtell's Manhattan apartment last March. Scolavino was treated for a head injury.

In exchange for her guilty plea, Campbell must pay Scolavino's medical expenses of $363, do five days of community service and attend a two-day anger management program.

The British catwalker wore stiletto heels, a tight-fitting black dress and waist-length jacket and several gold chains around her neck for her court appearance.

Outside the courthouse, her lawyer, David Breitbart, said he didn't want Campbell exposed to stalkers, so "I'm hopeful she can do the community service indoors."

Some 100 members of the media covered the event, but Campbell left the courthouse in a black Cadillac Escalade without speaking to them.

Campbell's publicist, Howard Bragman, called the Associated Press to issue a statement that he said the model was unable to give because of the media horde.

"I pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor in court today. That's the best way I know to say I'm sorry to Ana. I accepted responsibility and I'm prepared to take my punishment. But I'm not going to let this incident define me. The past is the past. My future holds great things and I'm getting on with my life," the statement said.

Campbell has a history of problems with her employees dating back to 2000. Several have filed lawsuits accusing her of assault.