08 July 2023 , 19:39
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Blue star Lee Ryan had to pull out of a gig tonight after he was allegedly assaulted on a plane.
Another passenger is claimed to have confronted the singer, 40, for putting his feet on a seat as they prepared to leave the aircraft at Istanbul Airport.
The spat escalated until cops took both men to a police station, where Lee gave a statement.
The drama meant Lee missed his connecting flight to the UK and Blue’s headlining gig at Worthing Pride.
Blue said in a statement: “On a flight from Georgia to Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, Lee was physically assaulted by a male passenger. The rest of the band defended him from the attack, which continued after the plane had landed when the passenger pushed Lee down a flight of stairs, causing injury to his leg. Both parties were spoken to by the police in Turkey and Lee voluntarily gave a victim statement.
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Lee Ryan leaves Westminster Magistrates' Court on June 13 (PA)“Lee was not at any point arrested, detained or charged with any offence.
“Lee had put his feet on the seat, which was considered culturally insensitive and for which Lee has apologised for any unknowing offence caused.”
A witness to today's row said: “It was an unfortunate incident, because Lee did not mean to cause offence. All of the passengers were stunned.”
In January Lee was charged after another plane incident (PA)A year ago, Lee was arrested for a racially aggravated assault on a Black flight attendant during a drunken rant on a British Airways plane.
In January, he was found guilty of being drunk on a plane, assault and abusive behaviour during a BA flight from Glasgow to London last July.
Lee had also admitted biting a police officer who tried to arrest him. But last month, he won his bid to withdraw his guilty plea and may now face a trial.