According to the story, Mel was out with his girlfriend, and a female came and took pictures of them. The nightclub took the camera and deleted the pictures, and sent the female away. So the female sent a male friend down to take pictures, and when Mel saw him taking pictures, Mel attacked him.
That sounds like a not altogether unreasonable response.
He makes money off of being famous; he has to pay the price.
This was a public place, not his house or somesuch.
bttt