Was driver paid off to drop charges against Campbell

New York: Miodrag Mejdina, the chauffeur who claimed he was assaulted by Naomi Campbell, was reportedly forced to drop the charges against the supermodel.The driver alleged that Campbell kicked him and then hit him on the back of his head so hard that he hit the steering wheel of the Cadillac Escalade.

But he later dropped the charges against the catwalk queen and issued an apology, saying, "This whole thing has been blown out of proportion and I apologize to Ms Campbell for causing that to happen." But New York Post has claimed Mejdina was pressured into dropping the charges and was paid off to keep mum. "When cops asked if he was getting pressure not to charge, he said, `Yes` and soon dropped the case. "Police sources believe it was more than pressure, with some saying he must have been paid off to keep his mouth shut," the Post said. The supermodel issued a statement soon after Mejdina`s apology, saying "I will not be held hostage to my past". "I have worked very hard on correcting my previous wrongdoings and I will not be held hostage to my past. I try to treat everyone with respect and I am pleased the driver has apologized. I would like to put the last few days behind me and move on," Campbell`s statement read. The 39-year-old model has a history of aggressive behavior. In 2000, she assaulted an assistant. In 2007, she was convicted of throwing a cell phone at her housekeeper, and in 2008 for attacking two police officers at Heathrow. PTI