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Black Eyed Peas in Nightclub "Bloodbath"

In a world of thugged-out, gangsta hip-hop, the Black Eyed Peas are a beacon of cuddly, peace-loving raps and laid-back, friendly vibes. So what the heck is head Pea Will.i.am doing being questioned by cops in Germany over his role in a nightclub brawl?

According to police, the fight started around 1:30 a.m. on Thursday morning (June 29) at 40seconds, a popular club in downtown Berlin where the Peas were hosting an after-show party, following their performance at a World Cup concert. Details remain sketchy, but eyewitnesses say the fight began as a scuffle between club security and one of the Peas' bodyguards, before escalating into what one party attendee called "a bloodbath."

No one's saying yet that Will.i.am was an active participant in the brawl, but police aren't discounting it, either. "A champagne bottle was used, but as far as what the singer did, there are various reports that contradict one another, and it's not yet clear what happened," a police spokesman told the Associated Press.

Photos of the brawl have already appeared in The Sun, including one showing Will.i.am dodging a punch and another showing fellow Pea Taboo apparently trying to shield the reigning Miss Germany, Isabelle Knispel, from the fracas. It's not clear whether the other Peas, Fergie and Apl.de.ap, were involved, but the group's female assistant was treated at a local hospital for cuts to her neck, presumably caused by flying glass from broken bottles.

The cause of the brawl is still unknown, with conflicting reports saying that it was either started because the group's bodyguard ignored requests from club security to stop overpacking the VIP area, or that the bodyguard was upset that security was allowing paparazzi to photograph the Peas.

The Black Eyed Peas and their representatives have not made any official comments about the fight.

--The ARTISTdirect Staff
06.30.06