AceShowbiz - Funnyman Russell Brand has broken his silence following his Friday, September 17 arrest for allegedly attacking a paparazzo, laughing off the incident in a series of Twitter.com posts. The British star was detained on suspicion of battery after a reported encounter with a photographer as he walked through Los Angeles International Airport with his fiancee Katy Perry.

The pop star insisted he was simply protecting his wife-to-be from snappers who were trying to take an inappropriate "upskirt" shot of her. Brand, who was charged with battery and released on $20,000 bail, kept quiet until Monday morning, September 20 when he addressed the matter online - but he didn't take aim at the pap.

Reaching out to his followers, he wrote, "Thanks for your sweet messages of support. After the tips I picked up in chokey (jail) I'm an infinitely more proficient criminal." Brand also posted a cheeky snap of one of his tattoos on the micro-blogging site, joking about finding love with another inmate, who he referred to as "my new homey from the joint".

But the incident isn't all laughs for the star - American immigration officials are investigating the situation and could revoke his visa over the incident. A spokesperson for the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services told Britain's Daily Mirror on Monday: "We are looking into this... A charge of battery could result in a conviction for an aggravated felony. Any kind of criminal conviction can lead to a visa being revoked. If a visa is revoked, the person will then be placed in deportation proceedings and this could lead to them being asked to leave the country and not return."

Brand is due back in court in October to face the battery charge.