[Red Moon]

BB winner Shilpa was 'not arrested'

Shilpa Shetty's UK spokeswoman has denied that the Bollywood star was arrested in India over her kiss with Richard Gere.

The Celebrity Big Brother winner was stopped at Mumbai Airport by immigration officials on her way to the opening of the Miss Bollywood musical in Berlin.

But the spokeswoman said she was not arrested or detained.

Earlier, the Bollywood star's Indian spokesman, Dale Bhagwagar, said: "She called me in the middle of the night and was in tears."

But UK spokeswoman Teji Singh said: "Every time Shilpa leaves the country she has to show her paperwork, because of the Richard Gere thing.

"There was absolutely no detention, no arrest whatsoever. She was rummaging through to get her paperwork and just stepped aside to a side room so she wouldn't block the queues.

"She wasn't crying. She was bunged up with the flu and she was only in there for eight to 15 minutes."

Hollywood star Gere, 58, caused an outcry when he grabbed Shetty, 32, swept her backwards, and kissed her several times on the cheek at an Aids-awareness event earlier this year.

Gere swooped down on Shetty in April after shouting in Hindi to thousands of truckers "No condom, no sex".

Shetty went on to defend the actor, saying "so much has been blown out of proportion", and Gere apologised for causing offence.

Source: The Press Association