Larry David’s Fight With Alan Dershowitz Isn’t the Only Epic Celebrity Smackdown on Martha’s Vineyard
August heats up on Martha’s Vineyard and the busiest month on the island is also when many of the most memorable celebrity fights occur. Most recently comedian Larry David was seen arguing with Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz over his allegiance to Donald Trump. And while the argument made news, it isn’t the first high-profile brawl to make waves. The physical altercation between comedian Bill Murray and photographer Peter Simon was headline news, which went down at a Vineyard restaurant.
Bill Murray’s fight with Peter Simon got physical
Simon and Murray had their own combative moment in August 2018 on the island. Murray was dining at an Oak Bluffs restaurant and Simon had been hired to photograph the band that was playing later that evening. Murray thought Simon kept taking his photo, became agitated, and then publicly confronted Simon.
But the melee wasn’t only verbal. “Murray grabbed him and poured a drink on his shirt,” according to Simon’s account of the encounter, according to an Oak Bluffs Police report, the Martha’s Vineyard Times reports. The report also included that “Murray was visibly upset.”
Peter Simon was banned after the fight with Bill Murray
The Murray/Simon dispute could have mirrored an episode of David’s HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm. Apparently, Simon was taking photos of the band, but Simon kept pointing his camera at Murray, according to the restaurant’s owner, Katherine Domitrovich. According to the police report, she said Simon “had no business photographing anyone in the restaurant, and was generally annoying.”
Domitrovich said the drink poured on Simon was “well deserved, well deserved.” She went further and then banned Simon from her restaurant. Apparently, Murray approached Simon twice during the incident and ultimately Murray shoved Simon.
Peter Simon said Bill Murray looked very different
Simon told the MV Times he was in the corner of the restaurant reviewing the photos he took of the band, which was when Murray approached him. Simon said Murray “grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him against the wall,” according to the MV Times. He then said to Simon, “I should [expletive] throw you out of here.”
Both men then started shouting at each other, “Do you know who I am?” Simon said he initially did not recognize Murray. “He looks so different than he used to look,” Simon told the MV Times. Simon said he apologized to Murray and told him he was not photographing him. “I did all my best to de-escalate it,” Simon recalled, even giving Murray the peace sign. But obviously, the fight became increasingly heated. “I’ve never been treated like that in my life,” he said.
Islanders took sides in the Peter Simon and Bill Murray fight
The comments section in the MV Times article was filled with remarks that sided with the actor and the photographer. “I was there that evening and I have to say Bill Murray could not have been nicer. As we were leaving he was graciously taking a photo with a big group of people,” one person recalled.
Another person added, “Peter has taken my photo and I was never tempted to pour water on him.” But one person commented, “I’ve seen Peter in action many times. Because he is Carly’s brother he uses that to intrude with his camera with self righteousness. Bill comes to the island to escape this type of intrusion and I’m sure overreacted.”
