TMZ is reporting that last night, Gerard Butler allegedly attacked a pap who followed him out of a club. Gerry left Crown Bar at 2am and the photographer trailed his limo.

At some point the limo stopped, Gerry got out and demanded to know why he was being tailed. The paparazzo countered that it was his “job” at which point Gerry allegedly beat the sh*t out of the dude, throttling the man’s neck and throwing his fists and his spittle all over his face.

The pap needed stitches and has since filed a police report.

We all have conflicting opinions on paps and privacy intrusion. Many stars don’t seek the attention, and so when they complain, they certainly have a valid point.

But Crown Bar is where the kids of The Hills go almost every night. It’s infested with photographers. And if you’re reading this blog, you probably look very often, and quite closely, at the images the paps acquire when they’re on the “job”.

So while Gerry may have been justified in his irritation with being followed, at the same time, if you’re out every night in LA, in the middle of the celebrity cesspool, rolling at the same places frequented by those who desperately NEED their pictures taken in order to remain relevant, what else can you expect?

Is pummeling a dude really the answer?

Or maybe not.

Maybe he was totally well within his rights to hang out at a Hollywood hotspot, where photogs are permanently stationed outside, and presume to do so in obscurity. I must be wrong.

Photos attached of Gerry at the RocknRolla LA premiere earlier this week.

Photos from Wenn.com