Paparazzi

Rob Kardashian has settled with the photog who accused him of robbery -- stealing her camera equipment -- and this will almost certainly mean the end of the criminal case against Rob.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... Rob has agreed to pay Andra Viak the value of the camera equipment.

TMZ broke the story ... Viak was waiting for Rob in the parking garage at a West Hollywood gym in March and when Rob started taking his clothes off she started taking pics. Rob then grabbed her camera's memory card and kept it.

Prosecutors charged Rob with battery and petty theft. There was a hearing in court today and the lawyers told the judge a civil settlement had been reached.

Our sources say Viak is now satisfied and doesn't want to pursue the criminal case. It's pretty much a formality that the judge will end the matter without prosecution.

The incident that led to the Rob Kardashian vs. Paparazzo arrest didn't appear to be a "joke" when it was happening ... because the photog told police, "He tried to kill me" ... and it's all caught on tape.

TMZ broke the story ... Rob was handcuffed and arrested early Sunday morning after chasing after a paparazzo and cornering him in a bong shop. Rob insisted he was just "joking" with the pap.

But new footage has surfaced ... which shows Rob was in a very heated argument with a super attractive female moments before the incident. It appears Rob gave chase to the pap AFTER he realized the argument was being recorded.

The pap ran to the nearby smoke shop to hide out ... but Rob spotted him and followed him inside. Cops saw the chase and darted inside the shop ... bursting into the store as Rob was closing in on the photog.

Once the pap sees the cops ... he yells out, "He's attacking me ... he chased me ... he tried to kill me." During the video, Rob never lays a hand on the pap.

The officers grabbed Rob and asked him why he was in the shop ... to which the reality star replied, "I'm shopping."

Kardashian was placed in handcuffs and warned, "Don't resist."

According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, Rob confirmed to cops that he gave chase because he "did not like the paparazzi filming him."

The photog -- not from TMZ -- actually got out of his car after she crashed into a wall at the school -- taking it down -- and began shooting pictures of Tori.

TMZ has learned the terms of the settlement between Jordan Dawes and Penn reads, "All of the net proceeds of the settlement will be donated to charities that support victims of domestic violence and victims of the earthquake in Haiti."

We're told Dawes' powerhouse attorney, Donald Karpel, is also donating a large chunk of his attorney's fees to the charities as well.

Sean Penn threatened to kill a paparazzo if he ever ran into him again ... this according to a new lawsuit filed by the photog.

Jordan Dawes alleges he was filming a documentary about paparazzi last October in Brentwood, CA when Penn suddenly began "kicking and punching" him.

In the suit, filed in L.A. County Superior Court, Dawes says Penn broke his camera and then said "the next time I see you, you will be in a box."

As we first reported, Dawes said he had to have knee surgery ... the result of the alleged attack.

Penn was charged with criminal battery and vandalism over the incident back in February. That case is pending.

Moments ago in Lancaster, Ca. court, freelance photographer Ed Frommer accused Rowe of slander, libel and defamation -- and wants $7,500 in damages.

Rowe testified Frommer hounded her, repeatedly trespassing on her property, and denies defaming the dude.

A photographer who is suing Debbie Rowe claims he was attacked with a bat by three men who were yelling, "Leave Debbie alone."

Photog Ed Frommer is suing Rowe, claiming she defamed him by "lying" to police by saying he intentionally scratched her face and struck her. Frommer has sued Rowe for $7,500 in small claims court.

Frommer told cops on Sunday at 11:15 PM in Lancaster, CA, three males began following him in two different cars and ran him off the road. Frommer told police they got out of their cars -- one of them wielding a bat and poking him in the chest. They were yelling, "Leave Debbie alone."

Reese Witherspoon is more than happy to become the key witness in a case involving a vicious fight between two members of the paparazzi.

The whole thing started in Brentwood earlier today, when two pappers -- not ours -- were trying to get a shot of Reese after she finished exercising. Each wanted to get "the shot" and they began fighting. We're told it was intense.

The LAPD was called to the scene. Cops took a report and are investigating.

We know exactly why Lindsay Lohan is being hauled into court Monday and it's no big deal -- probably.

Here's why an arrest warrant was issued. Lindsay was in an alcohol ed program for more than a year and was in full compliance with her probation. Sources say not too long ago she decided to switch programs. She either was late or missed one of the classes at the new program -- she says because the paparazzi made it impossible for her to show up on schedule. So the program director sounded the alarm last week to the court. And that's why the judge issued a warrant.

Based on what we know this is not a big deal and Lindsay's new lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, should be able to have the warrant 86'd -- no problemo. The only wild card: There's a new judge on the case and she's really tough.

We're told Lindsay will not show for the appearance unless the judge decides she wants her there.

Stay tuned.

Kanye West is on an all out pap smear campaign following his recent arrest in England.

WARNING: The following words from his blog are very loud.

"WHEN I LEFT THE CLUB, I WAS ENCOUNTERED BY A THIRSTY PAPARAZZI AS USUAL. HE FELT HE HAD MORE RIGHTS TO MY SPACE THAN ME, SO I PUT MY HAND UP TO PREVENT HIM FROM TAKING MY IMAGE. I DIDN'T ASSAULT HIM BUT MERELY PUTTING MY HAND UP TO COVER HIS LENS. I GUESS IN ALL THE COMMOTION THE CAMERA SCRAPED HIS NOSE."

Although charges were never filed, Kanye figures the damage to his image is already done since news of his arrest overshadowed the facts in the incident.

Kanye West will not be charged with assaulting a photographer -- in an alleged incident that went down just hours ago in the UK.

West was arrested at a hotel in Gateshead, England early this morning after allegedly getting into a tussle with a photog on his way out of the Tup Tup nightclub in Newcastle.

After a short investigation, West was released from police custody without charges.

FYI -- The person alleging the assault made the same claim against a famous British soccer player around a month ago -- but the charges were ruled to be unfounded in that case as well.

UPDATE: TMZ just spoke with the photog -- who claims Kanye did, in fact, smash his face in around 2AM London time.

A still photographer was trying to take pics of Kanye at the American Airlines terminal. According to our guy on the scene, Kanye allegedly confronted the photog and smashed his camera to the ground.

Our photog then began videotaping the scene when Kanye's bodyguard grabbed our camera -- a struggle ensued and the bodyguard threw the video camera to the ground, breaking it.

When Kanye realized our camera guy had videotaped the incident, he rushed our guy and yelled, "Gimme that f**king tape!"

Both Kanye and his bodyguard have been arrested and will be booked.

Jennifer Aniston got accosted at a Florida Marlins game tonight by an overzealous photog who got a little too close for comfort. Hands off Mayer's woman!

Aniston was filming a scene at the game with Owen Wilson for their upcoming movie "Marley & Me." CBS4 in Miami tells that after they were done filming, a photog got too close to Aniston and wouldn't back off. Cops warned him several times to keep his distance, but he wouldn't listen -- so officers moved in.