Naomi Campbell has been released on bail pending further inquiries after being arrested on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.
The 37-year-old supermodel had been held at Heathrow Airport following an alleged incident at Terminal 5.
A BAA spokeswoman at Heathrow Airport said: "Police today boarded a British Airways plane and removed a passenger."
According to Ms Campbell's spokeswoman, the model had checked in two bags but was then told that one had been lost.
Ms Campbell is reported to have been handcuffed on board the aircraft, which was believed to be heading for America.
'Forcibly eject'
Spokeswoman Annabel Fox said: "Naomi was flying to Los Angeles for a memorial service on Thursday.
"She arrived at Heathrow Terminal 5 in plenty of time, checked her two bags in and was told they would make the flight.
"Once on the plane she was told one bag could not be found and was missing.
"They closed the curtains, the screaming went on for quite some time. They brought people on, they escorted the person off and the pilot apologised"
"BA decided to resolve this by insisting she leave the flight and then called the police to forcibly eject her from the flight.
"She was taken to the Heathrow police station and released on police bail. So far as we are aware BA have still failed to offer any explanation as to why her bag went missing at Terminal 5."
One passenger on board the flight told the BBC how he overheard the alleged incident.
'Self-esteem and loneliness'
"We heard some screaming, an upset person in first class," he said.
"They closed the curtains, the screaming went on for quite some time. They brought people on, they escorted the person off and the pilot apologised.
"I had seen her get on the plane [looking] very positive."
Ms Campbell was discovered at the age of 15 and was the first black model to appear on the covers of Time magazine and both French and British Vogue.
It is not the first time Ms Campbell has been in trouble with the law.
Last year she spent five days mopping floors as part of a community service sentence in New York for throwing a mobile phone at her housekeeper during an argument over a pair of jeans.
She was also ordered to attend anger management classes.
During an interview with US TV Barbara Walters in June 2000, Naomi broke down and said: "Anger is a manifestation of a deeper issue...and that, for me, is based on insecurity, self-esteem and loneliness.
"I was really unhappy. I realised I was going to lose the people who really loved me if I didn't find out what was making me do the things I did."
That same year she pleaded guilty in Toronto to an assault charge for beating an assistant while making a film in Canada.
Ms Campbell expressed remorse and was released without punishment or a criminal record,
In 1993 she was dropped by Modelling agency Elite, who sent out a fax which read:
"No amount of money or prestige could further justify the abuse that has been imposed on our staff and clients. All who have experienced this will understand."
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