LEONA LEWIS has thanked her mentor SIMON COWELL for supporting her after she was attacked at a book-signing last month (Oct09) - crediting the music mogul with helping her through the ordeal.The Bleeding Love hitmaker was allegedly punched in the face as she signed autographs for fans at a store in London. Peter Kowalczyk, 29, was arrested at the scene and charged with assault. He is currently awaiting trial. Lewis admits the incident left her severely shaken, but Cowell was a big help - because his ex-girlfriend, Terri Seymour, suffered a similar attack in Los Angeles in May (09) when a woman wrapped her hands around the model's throat. Lewis says, "Simon was amazing. He called me up and just knew what to say. Earlier this year, his ex-girlfriend, Terri Seymour, was attacked. He's still close to her, so he knew what it was like. He said, 'It's just one person - make sure you feel the love from all the other people who actually love you. It's just this one person who is actually cr...

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LEONA LEWIS broke down in tears when a shop assistant allegedly insulted her and her father with "racist" slurs and forced the pair to leave the store.The Bleeding Love singer and her Guyana-born dad Joe were shopping in the U.K. capital recently when a female worker began to hurl abuse at the star. Lewis was left dumbstruck when the unidentified assistant said her father looked suspicious and threatened to call the police unless they left the shop. The 24 year old says, "I went up to the till (cash register) and asked how much it (a photo frame) cost. But the woman told us to get out. "I couldn't believe it. I asked what she meant and she said, 'I don't like the look of him'. Pointing at my dad, she said, 'He's been standing outside my shop and I want him to go right now. I know why you're coming in here.' "She came up to my face, shouting, 'Get out or I'm calling the police'. It was disgusting. I just couldn't believe someone was shouting at me in front of so many people." The i...

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LEONA LEWIS fled to a police station on Monday (19Oct09) when a paparazzi scrum following her turned nasty - just days after a fan attacked her.The Bleeding Love hitmaker made her first public outing since Peter Kowalczyk allegedly punched her in the face as she was signing copies of her new book, Dreams, at a central London store last week (14Oct09). Lewis needed medical treatment for a cut across her temple after the incident, while Kowalczyk was arrested and subsequently sectioned under the U.K.'s Mental Health Act. The singer decided to brave her first trip out since the incident - but moments after she was driven away from her London home she was forced to stop because of photographers tailing her. Lewis was taken to a nearby police station where she stayed until she was reassured she was safe to carry on her journey, according to Britain's Daily Star newspaper. A spokesperson for the star says, "She was being followed by about a dozen photographers and things were getting hai...

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LEONA LEWIS is planning to press charges against a man who punched her at a book signing session on Wednesday (14Oct09).The Bleeding Love star was forced to curtail a publicity event in London after she was attacked by the 29 year old male, who was arrested on suspicion of actual bodily harm and taken into police custody. The singer was spotted holding her eye and weeping as she left the store. She was then escorted to the capital's Harley Street Hospital, where a doctor checked for concussion and treated a cut across her temple. Leona Lewis, who has since pulled out of an appearance on U.K. TV series The One Show, has allegedly confirmed to authorities she wants to press charges against the man, known only as Peter.

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LEONA LEWIS has rebelled against her squeaky clean image by getting her first tattoo.The well-behaved Bleeding Love hitmaker has managed to keep out of the headlines for any reckless rock and roll behavior since winning Simon Cowell's U.K. TV talent show The X Factor in 2006. But now the pop star is showing off a rock and roll streak after having a tattoo inked on the inside of her left wrist in tribute to her boyfriend Lou Al-Chamaa. Keeping coy about its significance, Lewis says, "It's incredibly private and something that we both had done. It's Hebrew letters and I'm thrilled with it. I can't reveal what it is. Some things need to remain private for me." The couple shares a residence in London, but Lewis is currently based in the U.S. as she works on her forthcoming album Happy.

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LEONA LEWIS credits her family with keeping her grounded since her whirlwind rise to fame.Leona Lewis won British TV talent show The X Factor in 2006 and has gone on to enjoy global stardom. The Bleeding Love hitmaker insists her roots are still in London where she grew up - because her loved ones don't let her new lavish lifestyle go to her head. She says, "I come from a very normal place with a normal family and I definitely stay true to that. There are moments when I'm like, 'Wow', but at the end of the day you need a reality check and mine is friends and family." And Leona Lewis admits she is wary of making new pals now she's famous - in case they are using her. She adds, "It's definitely a journey for me, and I'm still adjusting - I've just learned how to decipher the true, genuine people from the ones that want to know you for their own benefit along the way."

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LEONA LEWIS' most recent photoshoot had to be closed down after the singer spotted poisonous spiders on set, according to reports.The Bleeding Love singer received a fright after she came in contact with tarantulas while she was posing on a clifftop in Malibu, California, for photos to be used on her upcoming album, reports Britain's The Sun. The entire shoot was said to have been halted for two hours until pest control ensured the area was secure. And animal lover Lewis was petrified as she returned to her spot in front of the camera. A source tells the newspaper, "Someone on the set had disturbed the spiders' nest and they had come out to see what all the commotion was about. "Leona was the first to see them and was petrified - frozen in fear and shrieking. "For someone who professes to be such a nature lover, it was a bit of an unexpected reaction. But she was terrified of being bitten."

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LEONA LEWIS has reportedly turned to a hypnotist to help battle her fears over performing live.The Bleeding Love hitmaker allegedly suffers from crippling stage fright and is said to be undergoing a series of therapy sessions in a bid to overcome her worries ahead of a planned world tour. The singer is set to kick-off a string of massive gigs next summer (10) and hopes the sessions will help prepare her for the challenge of singing to such large audiences night-after-night, according to British newspaper The Sun. A source tells the publication, "Seeing as Leona is on the path to becoming a global touring powerhouse, no corners will be cut. "She already has bags more poise and confidence than she used to but she's a natural born worrier. "(Her) bosses want to make sure her performance is as perfect and polished as an artist who has been around for years."

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LEONA LEWIS once saved a rabbit from a homeless man who threatened to eat it for his dinner.The Bleeding Love hitmaker was walking along a street in Los Angeles when she saw a man sitting with the white bunny on a leash. According to British newspaper The Sun, Lewis was so concerned over the creature's welfare, she asked the vagrant what he was going to do with the animal, to which he replied, "Don't know - probably eat it." But Lewis, who is a strict vegetarian, was so shocked at the prospect she gave the man $100 and told him to spend it on food for himself. A source tells The Sun the 24 year old has since adopted the rabbit and taken it to live in her Hollywood Hills home. The insider adds, "Leona is the proud owner of a new white rabbit called Melrose which she is keeping in her garden. She was shopping on Melrose Avenue last week when she spotted it being kept on a lead by a homeless man. She didn't think life on a lead was any way for a rabbit to live - then when he said he w...

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