Katherine Domitrovich, owner of the Martha’s Vineyard restaurant where photographer Peter Simon claims Bill Murray assaulted him, has spoken out in defense of the actor
The owner of a Martha’s Vineyard restaurant has spoken out in defense of Bill Murray after a photographer accused him of assault.
Katherine Domitrovich, owner of Lola’s in Oak Bluffs, says customers told her acclaimed music photographer Peter Simon got up in the actor’s face and began snapping pictures on Wednesday evening.
When Simon refused to stop, Domitrovich says Murray tossed a glass of water at him, but the altercation never got physical.
The owner’s account is vastly different from what the 71-year-old brother of singer Carly Simon told police and the media, claiming that Murray slammed him into a door.
‘Nothing went on, other than a glass of water,’ Domitrovich told the Boston Globe on Friday. ‘Peter is taking this to a whole different dimension because he wants the PR. I don’t care about PR. That’s why I don’t want photographers in my place.’
She also said of Murray: ‘He’s a very nice, civil person.’
The owner also scoffed at Simon’s previous claims that he didn’t know Murray would be at Lola’s that night, saying that the comedian is known to be a Wednesday regular at the restaurant.
She said that the photographer never requested permission to take photos when he arrived on assignment for The Martha’s Vineyard Times to take pictures of The Marotta Brothers Band and the crowd during their show.
Simon, left, told police and the media that Murray, right, had slammed him against a door, poured water on his camera and threatened to throw him out of the restaurant on Wednesday
Domitrovich, who owns Lola’s in Oak Bluffs, pictured, said Simon never requested permission to take photos in her restaurant
In an earlier interview with the Globe, Simon said he had snapped a few photos of Murray and stepped to the side to check out the pictures when the actor grabbed him by the back of the shirt and slammed him against a door.
Simon claimed Murray cursed and threatened to throw him out of the restaurant and cause him bodily harm.
The photographer said Murray thought he was secretly trying to snap pictures of him, but denied that’s what he was doing.
‘He looked like he was ready to strangle me,’ Simon told the outlet, saying that he initially didn’t realize the man attacking him was Murray.
‘He doesn’t look anything like he used to look.’
Simon said after Murray let him go, he continued taking photos of the band. According to Simon, Murray approached him again and poured a glass of water on him and his camera.
‘He treated me like the scum of the earth,’ he said.
According to a police report, Murray told officers that Simon was ‘taking pictures of him and harassing him while he was quietly minding his business’. The responding officer noted that Murray looked ‘visibly upset’.
Murray and Simon were both at the venue to watch a show by The Marotta Brothers Band. Murray is pictured with drummers Jerry Marotta (second from left) and Rick Marotta (far right) in 2017 with his brother Brian Doyle-Murray (second from right)
Simon, the brother of You’re So Vain singer Carly Simon, said he’s considering filing a criminal complaint against Murray for disorderly conduct charges
Simon and the associate publisher for The Martha’s Vineyard Times denies the claims saying The Marotta Brothers Band invited Simon to the restaurant to photograph them for the magazine’s Vineyard Scene section.
‘I’m not a paparazzi-type photographer. I’m just not,’ Simon fumed, calling Domitrovich’s claims a ‘complete lie’.
However, police banned Simon from the restaurant after speaking with Domitrovich and said he would be subject to trespassing charges if he ever came back to Lolas’s.
Murray has an aversion to people taking his picture. Last year, the actor infamously screamed and yelled at fans who had paid $150 a ticket to meet him at a VIP-reception following a performance with cellist Jan Vogler at Chicago Symphony Center.
Attendee Sean Kennedy told the Chicago Tribune that Murray yelled at him for taking his photo with his cell phone while he was waiting in the meet-and-greet line. Kennedy also said Murray called a female fan a ‘sour puss’ and kicked her out of a group picture when she asked if her and husband could have their pictures taken with Murray by themselves.
According to TMZ, in 2016 Murray was accused of throwing phones that belonged to three different people when they tried to snap a photo of him at a California rooftop bar.
The trio never pressed charges because Murray said he would replace their phones.
Simon told the Boston Globe he may file a criminal complaint against Murray for disorderly conduct charges and wants an apology from the actor and Domitrovich.