Tara Reid was nearly blinded permanently when she was glassed in the face by a former model at a private members club in London.
The woman, acquitted yesterday in court, is Maryam Hassan, aged 27, who approached Reid in the club when she spotted her talking to Edgar Davids, a Dutch soccer player.
The incident, which took place at the “Beat” members-only club in London’s west end, occurred when Hassan, a complete unknown who had only gained entry to the club because she knew some of the members, wanted attention.
She apparently approached Tara Reid and threw a glass of wine all over her chest for no good reason. For her part, Reid responded by throwing her drink in Hassan’s face.
Hassan was then removed by a bouncer at the club, who she is said to have abused, but returned twenty minutes later, smashing a glass in Reid’s face.
Reid was rushed to hospital after suffering a corneal abrasion; this required a consultation with a plastic surgeon. She also had a large cut on her forehead and another abrasion on the bridge of her nose.
Reid spoke about the incident to reporters saying that she “couldn’t open her eye” for a good while after the incident:
“I didn’t know who she was but I guess she was not getting any attention. She came up to me and threw the contents of her drink over my chest. I reacted immediately and threw my drink over her. The club’s body guard took her away. The same female came back 20 minutes later and she was then taken away. She said “I’m not getting kicked out, you whore, you slut.”
Tara Reid said that Hassan just went nuts, Naomi Campbell style: “It was so quick, she stood close to me within arms’ length, and smashed the glass in my face.”
So, on what basis did Hassan get acquitted for her heinous act against the star? Well, the acquittal shows the absurdity of the British legal system – which often seems more intent on protecting criminals than it does on bringing them to justice.
The jury accepted Hassan’s version of events that the glass “flew out of her hand” when she was removed from the club by the bouncer who she had verbally abused. Hassan apparently burst into tears when the “not guilty” verdict was bought in, saying “thank you” to the jury.