Morrissey, already a man easily scandalized and sensitive to the comportment of others, may have just added another item to his list of things to despise: Italy. Evidently, while cruising–not panicking–on the streets of what he once viewed as fair Roma, his amore for the city was forced to wane. It was reportedly outside the Nike store that Morrissey was stopped by an Italian policeman lusting for celeb blood–or maybe just Morrissey blood.
While we know two things about both parties involved–that Morrissey is more uppity about his rights than most ought to be and that the police are violent and easily agitated in general–it remains unclear just, who, exactly is telling a more accurate account of the truth. Wherever the veracity may lie, one thing is certain: it isn’t likely Morrissey will be returning to Rome anytime soon.
With his nephew, Sam Esty Rayner, at the time, Morrissey was said to have been “terrorized” for roughly thirty-five minutes as he was harassed and demanded to show his papers. According to the officer, however, Morrissey and Rayner were stopped for driving against traffic on the street and were simply asked for the required identification that comes with being pulled over in any country. Something tells one that both sides are embellishing ever so slightly. Plus, maybe Morrissey’s staid English sensibilities are particularly sensitive to the generally passionate nature of Italians that can come across as anger, but is simply how they talk.
