Darren Hayes Arrested For Allegedly Racially Abusing A Waiter

Last week, ex-Savage Garden frontman and Celebrity Homosexual Popstar Darren Hayes won our heart when he unleashed an eloquent tirade against John Howard’s stance on gay marriage.

Hayes married Briton Richard Cullen in London last year, but his partner has to travel with him to Australia on a tourist visa.

“It makes me angry and frustrated,” the former Savage Garden frontman said yesterday. “I’m Australian and the way the law sits I can’t bring my partner home as my partner. That to me is an infringement of my civil rights – a very un-Australian thing. I would never have voted for John Howard and I encourage people not to. I don’t think he speaks for this country in the same way I don’t think George Bush speaks for the US.”

But will his recent barney with a Thai waiter put him in the bad books forever, with allegations he racially abused a staff member at a West End restaurant?

Hayes fronted police last Friday night in London, where he was arrested for the alleged racial abuse of a staff member at Busaba Eathai in Wardour Street, in London’s West End, on July 22. The attack did not involve physical violence, but is believed to have been directed at a male member of staff. He was released on bail.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “We can confirm that a 35-year-old man was arrested by Westminster police on suspicion of racially abusing a member of staff. He was arrested after voluntarily attending a Central London police station by appointment. He has been released on bail pending further inquiries, until the 21st of September.”

A manager at the Soho restaurant, who did not want to be named, confirmed the incident and said that it involved a verbal attack by Hayes on a member of staff. He said restaurant staff reported the incident to police, who took statements on July 23. The victim had returned to work, and the matter was now in the hands of the police.

How very Cheryl Tweedy, Darren.

Innocent until proven guilty, etc. We’ll leave our judging hat on the rack for now, but we’re quite prepared to don it (and adopt a stern, surly look) should the allegations turn out to be true.