Some of us are enthralled with the dazzling nature of Hollywood, insane CGI advancements, and lovable characters from movies like Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) in Transformers or Dallas (Matthew McConaughey) in Magic Mike. Others are more interested in the hilarity, intrigue, and messiness of the actors behind the famous characters. If you’re a pop culture lover in the second camp, then you’re in the right place. Today, ABC Bail Bonds is going to give you the round-up of wild celebrity arrests. Stay tuned for laughs, disbelief, and some WTF moments.
Matthew McConaughey: Bongos And A Birthday Suit
This actor has been beloved worldwide since 1993 when he first made his appearance in Dazed and Confused and uttered his iconic line “all right, all right, all right.” Born and raised in the Lone Star State, Texans have a particular fondness for this Hollywood standout and his antics and are still getting laughs after his 1999 arrest.
Matthew McConaughey was arrested in 1999 after his neighbors filed a noise complaint. According to the police report, cops peered through a window around 3 AM and found him naked, dancing, and playing the bongos while another man clapped.
When the cop continued to the door, he was met with the overwhelming smell of weed. He decided to search the premises (without a warrant) and found marijuana stems, seeds, a bong, and a pipe. When the officer tried to arrest McConaughey, the “very intoxicated” actor shoved the cop and had to be forced into the squad car.
The encounter earned McConaughey nine hours in a Travis County jail, but in an interview with Playboy, he declared, “What’s wrong with beating on your drums in your birthday suit?” he said. “I have no regrets about the way I got there.”
Travis Scott: Inciting The Public
This Houston rapper recently made headlines for the fatal Astroworld festival fiasco in Houston, Texas. Nine festival-goers were left dead after the concert and hundreds more were injured. A Houston lawyer at Arnold & Itkin, the firm representing 100 families in Astroworld related lawsuits, believes it’s likely that criminal charges will be brought against the superstar.
“I think it’s likely that criminal charges will be brought. I’d be shocked if they weren’t. I don’t say that lightly, but manslaughter is a possibility. It has to rise to a standard of recklessness in Texas, you have to know of the risk and disregard it,” said Kurt Arnold of Arnold & Itkin. A standard that many would agree was met as footage captured by fans shows the performer continuing on with the show after briefly stopping the concert while collapsed fans remained in the crowd.
Now, seems like the perfect time to revisit Scott’s history of inciting public disorder at concerts and his former arrests. In 2015, Travis was charged with disorderly conduct at Lollapalooza in Chicago, and in 2017, he was arrested in Arkansas for you guessed it– inciting the public. As a beacon of rebellion and a proponent of “the rage”, he encouraged fans to bypass security and storm the gates or stage both times. He is also known for encouraging NYC fans to jump from balconies.
Shia LaBeouf: The Mile-Long Rap Sheet
Like many child stars, Shia LaBeouf has had his share of scandal. His first run-in with the law was in 1996 when he was just nine years old for stealing a pair of Nike Cortez sneakers from a shop in Pacoima, California. Unlike his character Stanley Yelnats in Holes, LaBeouf was actually guilty, and a couple of years later he was picked up for stealing a Gameboy Pokémon– all before getting cast as Louis on Disney’s Even Stevens.
Fast forward to 2017, and several arrests later, LaBeouf was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault and harassment at his anti-Trump art installation in Queens, NY. During the performance, the actor allegedly grabbed hold of a man’s scarf, scratching his face in the process.
However, the charges were later dropped. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of Shia’s legal troubles in 2017 as he was once again arrested in Savannah, Georgia, for public drunkenness and disorderly conduct when he lashed out after a stranger refused his request to bum a cigarette. This final arrest prompted him to acknowledge his addictions and seek help on his journey to sobriety. He even thanked the officer who arrested him that last time during an award speech for his film Honey Boy, saying that his actions “saved his life.”
Ozzy Osbourne: The Alamo And A Full Bladder
You could say that this rock legend went off the rails on a crazy train in 1982 when he offended the entire state of Texas. Music icon Ozzy Osbourne urinated on the Alamo Cenotaph monument across the street from the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. The act earned him a public intoxication arrest, and he spent the rest of the day in jail before being released after posting a $40 bond.
Osbourne’s decision to relieve himself publicly, and on a historical landmark with profound significance offended Texans so much that he was banned from performing in San Antonio for a whole decade according to Texas Monthly.
While this is considered by most to be a world-class blunder, the wild rocker didn’t understand that he was peeing on the Alamo when he urinated on the Cenotaph monument. The musician known for biting heads off of bats expressed his regret and issued a formal apology 33 years later. He also made another donation of $10,000 to the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, the organization charged with maintaining the Alamo.
Bruno Mars: Cocaine and Vegas
The song Gorilla could have easily been the soundtrack of the night had Mars only produced it two years earlier before the fateful night of his arrest. On his 2012 Unorthodox Jukebox album, the pop singer crooned “Got a body full of liquor with a cocaine kicker,” which can only serve to remind listeners about his 2010 Las Vegas arrest.
After performing at the Hard Rock Hotel Casino, the talented singer-songwriter was arrested by Vegas police after hotel security found 2.6 grams of a “white powdery substance” that law enforcement believed to be cocaine. Fortunately for the singer, the charges were later dismissed. A few years later he commented, “I was in fucking Vegas. I wasn’t thinking.” He also said that the incident served as a reminder that “it can all be taken away.”
Bail Bond Releases After Wild Celebrity Arrests (Or Non-Celebrity)
Maybe you’re not a celebrity or even an influencer, but you don’t have to be famous to get involved in crazy shenanigans. If you get picked up after a wild night out in Atascocita, Bellaire, Crosby, Jersey Village, Cypress, Humble, Spring, Tomball, Houston, or the surrounding areas– call ABC Bail Bonds for a fast and affordable bail bond. We’ll be here for you any time day or night.
