On August 4th, Drew Drechsel, known for being a winner of the game show American Ninja Warrior, was arrested and charged with multiple child-sex-related crimes. According to USA Today, 31-year-old Dreschel was charged with “with seeking sex with a minor and inducing her to send him sexual explicit images,” as well as “manufacture of child pornography, enticement of a minor to travel for illicit sexual conduct, travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and use of interstate commerce to entice a minor.”
In response, NBC has cut ties with Dreschel, and announced that they would be eliminating his appearances in the upcoming season of the show. If convicted, Dreschel could face 20 years to life in prison, in addition to paying hundreds of thousands in fines.
Maroon 5 bassist Mickey Madden was arrested on June 27, 2020, following an allegation of domestic violence. Madden is not married, and the identity of the alleged victim has not been released. He posted $50,000 bail.
A Maroon 5 spokesperson said, “We are deeply devastated by this disappointing news. As we learn more, we are looking at this very seriously. For now, we are allowing all of the individuals involved the space to work things through.”
On June 21st, Brandon “Bug” Hall “was arrested in Texas for allegedly inhaling air duster,” as reported by People. The 35 year old actor is a former child star known for his role as Alfalfa in the the 1994 Little Rascals movie.
He was apparently seen huffing near a dumpster when the police were called, and was subsequently booked into Parker County Jail for possession and use inhale/ingest volatile chemical. The following day he posted a $1,500 bond and was released.
On June 1, Riverdale actor Cole Sprouse was arrested during a Black Lives Matter protest in Santa Monica. The protests had remained peaceful for the majority of the day. But as the group began to shrink and the event wound down, looters descended upon the area. It was in this fray that Sprouse was detained.
He said in a statement to Buzzfeed News: “We were given the option to leave, and were informed that if we did not retreat, we would be arrested. When many did turn to leave, we found another line of police officers blocking our route, at which point, they started zip tying us.” He went on to express that “This is ABSOLUTELY not a narrative about me,” and instead redirected focus onto the movement and greater consequences suffered by people of color during this time.
Officers ended up arresting around 400 others during this time for causes including looting, assault, and breaking curfew. Sprouse was released soon after.
On the morning of March 26th, UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was arrested in New Mexico for driving while intoxicated, as well as a gun charge. TMZ reported that police responded to reports of gunfire in Albuquerque at 1AM to find Jones inside a parked vehicle, seemingly intoxicated.
Upon a failed field sobriety test and two breathalyzer tests that both registered over the legal blood-alcohol limit, the vehicle was searched to reveal that it contained a handgun and a hald empty bottle of tequila. Jones was then booked for the open container in addition to the DWI charge and the negligent use of a deadly weapon.
Black Hawk Down and Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore was arrested on January 24 for driving under the influence and posession of a controlled substance.
This is almost one year after Sizemore was arrested on drug charges after a traffic violation. The actor was also charged with domestic violence back in 2016 and 2003.
Sam Waterston, costar of Jane Fonda on Grace and Frankie, joined Joaquin Phoenix and Martin Sheen in being arrested at Fonda’s climate change protest on January 10th.
This is Waterson’s second arrest at Fonda’s weekly series of events called Fire Drill Fridays. His first occurred in October when he and others blocked a street during the protest, which they did again in January. Waterston was put in zip tie handcuffs and led away as a result.
The US Capitol Police confirmed that the charges for those arrested were “Crowding, Obstructing, or Incommoding,” but did not specify further with regards to individuals. Either way, Phoenix, Sheen, and Waterston were processed on site and released quickly afterwards.
Martin Sheen was among the many arrested at Jane Fonda’s January 10th Fire Drill Friday event. While protesting lawmakers’ repsonse to climate change, Sheen was arrested for “crowding, obstructing or incommoding” – as per a statement by the US Capitol Police.
Sheen gave a rousing speech on conciousness and civic duty, ending with the lines: “we are pulled to find something in our lives worth fighting for…let our country awake!”
He joins celebrities Joaquin Phoenix, Ted Danson, Sally Field, and Jane Fonda herself along with numerous others in the long list of arrests made at this ongoing protest, which has been held weekly since October of 2019. Both he and Phoenix were processed on site and released quickly after their arrests.
Joaquin Phoenix was arrested on January 10th while participating in a climate crisis protest organized by Jane Fonda. Fire Drill Fridays, which have been occurring weekly since October of 2019, are a series of protests led by Jane Fonda to bring attention to the US government’s handling of the issue of climate change.
Phoenix attended this Fire Drill Friday just days after winning a Golden Globe for his Joker performance, and took to the stage to speak out about the meat and dairy industry’s negative effect on the climate, saying: “there is something you can do today, right now and tomorrow, by making a choice about what you consume.”
Although the US Capitol Police did not name names, they did say that all who were arrested during the protest were charged with “crowding, obstructing or incommoding.” However, Phoenix, along with the other celebrities arrested, was quickly released.
Rap artist YG, real name Keenon Daequan Ray Jackson, was arrested on January 24 following an early morning police raid of his San Fernando Valley residence, TMZ reports. According to the outlet, authorities booked the “FDT” rapper on charges for a robbery case. This arrest comes months after the hip hop artist’s SUV was involved in a police shootout and car chase which resulted in the death of a 65-year-old man, as well as a police raid on a Hollywood Hills home which he rents. Jackson was not present for either of these incidents, neither of which appear to be related to his January 2020 arrest.
The rapper’s attorney, Joe Tacopina, commented to TMZ that “YG has no idea what investigators are talking about and we have not been provided with any details…we are learning about this case through the media.” Echoing a tweet from rapper The Game, Tacopina also raised suspicions to TMZ regarding the timing of Jackson’s arrest days before he is slated to perform a tribute to Nipsey Hussle, presumably an implicit reference to a widespread conspiracy theory surrounding the latter hip hop artist’s murder in March of 2019.
Rapper Vic Mensa (real name Victor Kwasi Mensah) was arrested in January for alleged felony possession of brass knuckles, per a January 19 report from TMZ. The news outlet does not specify an exact date of the arrest, only that it occurred in “Glendale, CA earlier this month.”
According to TMZ, law enforcement pulled the rapper over after he made an “unsafe turn” on his motorcycle, and during the stop and frisk, the officer found the illicit item. Brass knuckles are a legal means of self defense in most of the US, but are banned in California, Illinois, Michigan, and Vermont.
Mensah was released on a $20,000 bond for possession of the weapon, but did not receive a ticket for the alleged unsafe turn for which the police initially stopped him.
Rap artist DaBaby has been arrested on account of alleged robbery and battery charges. According to the police report, obtained by TMZ, DaBaby was having an altercation with a concert promoter. The events took place at The Dallas/Fort Worth Airport.
He was taken to Miami’s police headquarters in handcuffs on January 3. DaBaby has been involved in a string of misdemeanors throughout 2019, including a marijuana posession charge and carrying a concealed weapon.
Source