The 51-year-old EastEnders star yesterday denied a charge of racially aggravated harassment, meaning she will stand trial next year.
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A source told The Sun: “Linda is horrified at the accusation and intends to fight it tooth and nail.
“Those close to her know the truth and the type of person she is. She has never been in trouble before, has ever been accused of this type of thing before and is determined to prove she is innocent of those deeply offensive claims.”
The incident reportedly took place outside Jamie’s Italian in Greenwich in September this year. The manager there said: “Our staff are not involved.”
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Linda has played Shirley Carter in the soap since 2006, and before that she played tough inmate Yvonne Atkins in Bad Girls from 1999 to 2003.
She did not appear at the hearing yesterday, which took place at Bexley magistrates court in South London, and pleaded not guilty via her lawyer.
Her spokesperson said: “Linda will be defending the allegation.”
BBC and EastEnders have so far declined to comment but it is thought Linda’s filming on the soap will continue as normal until the trial on February 11.