Holmes 'protected by Aussie men'

A group of Aussie men recently leaped to the defence of Katie Holmes when the paparazzi tried to take her photograph.

The Dawson's Creek star was sitting in Melbourne chocolate shop San Churro at the weekend, when half a dozen photographers started taking shots of her through the window.

One eyewitness told The Daily Telegraph: "This table of tough-looking guys got up and began yelling at the photographers to leave the lady alone."

The men apparently started shoving the paparazzi until Holmes's security guard came outside and intervened.

Holmes is in Australia filming horror film Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark, a remake of the 1973 made-for-TV movie of the same name.