Diaz and Timberlake in camera fracas

Charlie’s Angels star Cameron Diaz and pop star boyfriend Justin Timberlake grabbed a photographer’s camera when he and a partner surprised them outside a ritzy Los Angeles hotel.

Representatives for the stars said in a statement that the couple were “ambushed by two men, who jumped out of a concealed hiding place on a dark, deserted street late at night. Any actions by Diaz and Timberlake were merely taken in self-defence”.

After a brief fracas with the photographer outside the famed Chateau Marmont, Diaz broke free and ran off with the camera.

The publicists said she took it in the hope that it could be used to identify the men to authorities.

They said she turned the camera over to police.

Los Angeles police Officer Sarah Faden said the department also received a complaint from one of the photographers, accusing the couple of battery and grand theft.

The matter remains under investigation, but no arrests or charges were actively being pursued, Faden said.