Celebrities are known for wild behavior both on and off screen, and this year was no different. In fact, I would argue that 2010 was one of the best years ever for celebrity mischief. Whenever one got arrested, more would soon follow. Do they do it for the publicity? Do we only notice them acting up because they live in the spotlight? Do we really even care? Whatever the reason, it seems like this trend is only getting trendier. Is getting arrested the new hot thing to do? Here are some of 2010’s most significant celebrity arrests.
Lindsay Lohan
What would a list of celebrity arrests be without the one-and-only LiLo? In May, a Los Angeles Judge issued a warrant for her arrest after she failed to appear for a scheduled DUI progress report hearing. Lohan was ordered to attend weekly alcohol education classes, wear an alcohol-monitoring bracelet, refrain from drinking alcohol, and undergo random weekly drug tests to remain free on bail. In July, another Judge ruled that Lohan had violated the terms of her probation and sentenced her to 90 days in jail, of which she only served 14.
Paris Hilton
In August, Paris Hilton was arrested and charged with felony drug possession. The Las Vegas police stopped the car in which she was the passenger(er boyfriend was behind the wheel) with the suspicion that the two were smoking marijuana. Paris asked if they could deal with the problem in the privacy of the hotel, where, according to Sgt. John Sheahan, Hilton pulled out a tube of lip balm and “a bindle of cocaine in a plastic bag came out of her purse” in plain view of police in the room.
Gary Coleman
Law enforcement in Santaquin, UT were called to Gary Coleman’s house for a domestic disturbance in January. They found no crime was committed, but he was was picked up because of a warrant stemming from a prior incident in 2009. In May, the “Diff’rent Strokes” star, who suffered from congenital kidney disease, died from a brain hemorrhage in following a fall at his home in Utah.
Chace Crawford
Crawford, one of the stars of TV’s “Gossip Girl” was arrested in Plano, Texas for misdemeanor possession of marijuana under two ounces in June. Sources say Crawford was in a car with a friend when he was busted and cops found one unlit joint.
Andy Dick
In January, the very unusual Andy Dick was arrested in West Virginia on two counts felony counts of sexual abuse in the first degree. According to the criminal complaint, Dick was talking to a guy when he “unexpectedly and without invitation grabbed the victim’s crotch, repeatedly groping then kissing him.” Also in the complaint, a security guard at the bar says that Andy Dick “grabbed his crotch and began laughing” when the guard tried to give him an armband.
Heather Locklear
In April, Heather Locklear was arrested for hit-and-run when her black BMW collided with a “no parking” sign at 4 AM near her house at North Ranch Country Club in Westlake Village, CA. The offense is a misdemeanor, so Locklear was not taken into custody – just cited and released, although an official from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department said that hit-and-run citation constitutes an “arrest.”
Randy Quaid
In October, Fugitive actor Randy Quaid and wife Evi were arrested in Canada following Santa Barbara-issued arrest warrants after both failed to show up for an arraignment hearing. The hearing was the result of the Quaids’ September arrest for allegedly squatting in their onetime home. The two were previously arrested in April for failing to pay a $10,000 hotel bill.
Rip Torn
Rip Torn was arrested for an alleged break-in attempt at a Connecticut bank in January. According to a statement from state police, Torn was charged with carrying a firearm without a permit, carrying a firearm while intoxicated, first-degree burglary, first-degree trespassing and third-degree criminal mischief following an alleged forced entry at a Litchfield Bancorp building in Salisbury, Conn.
Snooki
In July, Seaside Heights PD busted Snooki for disorderly conduct. You’re going to have to watch Jersey Shore Season 3 to see what happens!
Spencer Pratt
In September, Pratt was busted for felony possession of a firearm as he tried to fly back to the U.S. He was cited and released, but then later banned from the country.
