Leona Lewis was rushed to a hospital today, after a man, who had waited patiently in line at her book signing, punched her in the face when it was his turn.

Five bodyguards contained the attacker, and Leona was taken to the emergency room, where she was treated for injuries. The man was arrested by police shortly after.

A friend of Leona’s described the attack to reporters today, saying,

Leona was utterly shocked and appalled as it came out of nowhere. The man queued up patiently, then as soon as she signed his book he smashed her in the face. He didn’t say anything to her and she is at a loss as to why anyone would do such an evil thing.

She is devastated as she comes from quite a humble background and loves meeting her fans. She was doing a three-hour signing and planned to sign hundreds of books.

Leona’s rep released a statement today, apologizing to the fans who were unable to have their books signed due to the incident.