Actor Breaks Silence on Malibu Paparazzi Melee

BY ANNE SOBLE

Point Dume resident Matthew McConaughey, targeted by a clutch of paparazzi seeking shots of the actor surfing at Little Dume Beach last summer, has made his first public comment regarding the local residents who scuffled with the photographers on what the residents believed to be the private part of the beach.
McConaughey’s publicist Alan Nierob told the Malibu Surfside News that McConaughey said of the incident that became an international media phenomenon, “That was a community thing. Everyone was enjoying the beach, and their peace was disturbed.”
The comment is interpreted as a sign of support for Malibuites Skylar Peak and John Hildebrand who have pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor battery charges for allegedly injuring a paparazzo and throwing camera equipment into the ocean. A pre-trial hearing has been set for January.