Urban Gets a Case of the Clooneys

10/01/2007 2:35 PM, E! Online


Like any good star, Keith Urban knows from delegating responsibility—or, in this case, blame.

Nicole Kidman's mister was involved in a slight motorcycle accident in Sydney Sunday and, like George Clooney before him, is claiming that it was not his own driving inadequacies that caused the crash. Instead, Urban points a finger at a particularly overzealous paparazzo's aggressive roadside tactics.

"Today's incident was the result of one person's desire to do his job and my desire to maintain my privacy," Urban said in a statement Monday after the story made the Australian headline rounds.

"Some have already attempted to inflate the facts, but the reality is this: while out riding to an AA meeting, a time when my privacy is especially important to me, I felt myself being pursued."

Urban said he then sped up to ditch his camera-wielding shadow; however, in an unfortunate case of bad timing, he did so as an oncoming vehicle was about to make an illegal U-turn in front of him. As a result, Urban said, "I saw no choice but to drop my bike."

After the 39-year-old's spill, in which he managed to avoid injury of any kind, Urban said the motorcycle-bound paparazzo that had been in hot pursuit surprised him by declining to take advantage of the available money shot.

"In actual fact, my pursuer came to my assistance, without taking photos, and helped me from the road. I returned home, got my car, and continued on my way."

According to The Australian, the incident took place near Kidman's Darling Point home. The newspaper reported a nearly 30-foot skid mark and chipped gutter were the only remnants of the wipeout.

As it is, Urban may not have to deal with the snap-happy exploits of the urban paparazzi for too much longer. The platinum-selling Grammy winner and wife Kidman confirmed last month that they recent purchased a sizeable plot of land outside Nashville, which they plan on turning into a horse farm.