Sheen's ex injures elderly in fracas with paparazzi

It's probably best to stay out the way when a Hollywood diva throws a tantrum, but two unfortunate pensioners managed to get caught-up in the cross fire when Denise Richards blew her top at paparazzi.

Fed up of photographers trying to get a snap of her, the Hollywood actress hurled their laptops out of a hotel balcony - hitting two elderly disabled pensioners below.

Her spokeswoman blamed aggressive paparazzi Thursday for the run-in that prompted the ex-wife of actor Charlie Sheen to take matters into her own hands.

Howard Blank, a spokesman for the River Rock casino resort in the Vancouver suburb, confirmed an incident took place.

Global TV reported Richards was filming a scene for the movie "Blond and Blonder" when she allegedly confronted a photographer trying to take her picture.

Richards threw their laptop computers off a balcony, hitting two elderly women sitting in the lobby below.

Paramedics were called but the injuries apparently amounted to no more than bruising.

"Based on the actions of the paparazzi they are lucky their laptops were the only things that were thrown off the ledge," said Richards' publicist Nicole Perez in Los Angeles.

A statement from "Blonde and Blonder" producer Dean Bornstein indicated that a "number of unauthorized persons" got onto the film set and began "harassing members of the cast."

"While trying to stop the paparazzi, Denise Richards was involved in an altercation," Bornstein said.

"To protect her safety she instinctively knocked the paparazzo's laptops off a ledge. Royal Canadian Mounted Police were called to the scene as a precaution and the case was soon closed."

"No charges were filed against Ms. Richards."

Richards has appeared in TV series such as "Spin City" and movies such as "Love Actually," "Starship Troopers" and "Scary Movie 3."

She became tabloid fodder in part because of her divorce from actor Charlie Sheen.