Christina Aguilera arrested on public-drunkenness charge in West Hollywood [Updated]

Singer Christina Aguilera was arrested by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies on suspicion of public drunkenness early Tuesday morning, officials said.

Aguilera, 30, was booked on a single count of public drunkenness at the West Hollywood sheriff's station.

[Updated at 6:52 a.m.: Officials said deputies pulled over a car in which Aguilera was a passenger near a West Hollywood club. The driver was cited for drunk driving, and Aguilera also was taken into custody because she was intoxicated, the officials said. She was being released on $250 bail.]

Aguilera made headlines at the Super Bowl for forgetting some words for the national anthem. She later issued an apology: "I got so caught up in the moment of the song that I lost my place. I can only hope that everyone could feel my love for this country and that the true spirit of its anthem still came through."

She starred opposite Cher in last year's movie "Burlesque."

-- Andrew Blankstein

Photo: Christina Aguilera. Credit: Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Jeff]

Those of you who are shocked by this have obviously never encountered the West Hollywood police department. Pigs with nothing better to do with their time. They live off of this crap.

[luvi]

I think the cops were thinking of her safety, she was too intoxicated to take care of herelf or drive for that matter. She is very pretty,a female and famous, now i think they were just trying to protect her...yeahh they also could have called the babysitter to come get her and take care of her too, not just her baby. Or another friend or take her home. Well she needs to grow up and make better choices. Getting in a car with someone drunk? Not a good choice. She has a baby, what was she thinking? Well I hope she learned her lesson and will not do this again. Nobody to blame but herself. Sorrry Christina! Grow up Chica!

[KRIJCHEK]

Relax people! I am sure (as much as I hate the Sheriff's department) what happened is that they cited the driver for DUI and obviously did not let him drive away, if anything impounded his car and as far as the passenger goes. Let's face it, she's a high profile persona and god forbid they let her walk free unable to care for herself (after all that is the definition of public intoxication) and gets hit by a car, or falls and breaks that pretty face of hers. It's a liability issue so let's not be so quick to get our knickers in a bunch over wasted tax money.

[luvi]

I think the cops were thinking of her safety, she was too intoxicated to take care of herelf or drive for that matter. She is very pretty,a female and famous, now i think they were just trying to protect her...yeahh they also could have called the babysitter to come get her and take care of her too, not just her baby. Or another friend or take her home. Well she needs to grow up and make better choices. Getting in a car with someone drunk? Not a good choice. She has a baby, what was she thinking? Well I hope she learned her lesson and will not do this again. Nobody to blame but herself. Sorrry Christina! Grow up Chica!

[what the]

She was arrested because she was intoxicated and unable to care for herself. She was in public when she was in a car on a public road. I learned it the hard way. Moral of the story, get a designated driver. She obviously didn't have one.

[Chris Taylor]

Obviously there's more to this story... I wonder what really happened...

[Gary M]

Double standard.
The LASD could have arranged for a taxi or a friend to pick her up and take her home, but they did not.
In December, off duty Sheriff Deputies became involved in a drunken
brawl at the Quiet Cannon Restaurant in Montebello.
Sheriff Leroy Baca quickly took the investigation from Montebello Police
and covered it up.
It is time for a new Sheriff!!!!

[ARCADIAN]

You people need your head examined, If she interferes with the arresting police officer she can be arrested, im sure she wasnt just sitting there, you people need to think before you type. they cited the driver for drunk driving, im sure she came out ranting and raving on who she is, and tried to convince the officer on who she is.
if you want to get drunk stay home. you drunkard are the ones who should seek help, really, endangering other people lives, even at home.
USE YOUR HEAD DRUNKARDS!!!

[Rudy]

Seems most cant read that well. The driver was arrested for drinking and driving and anybody in the car and also under the influence is as guilty as the driver. So if the driver was sober nothiung would have hapen to both of them

[Ed]

Please people, this isn't that difficult. If you are a drunk passenger and the driver is also intoxicated, you can be charged with public drunkenness once the driver is taken into custody. The reasoning is that you are unable to drive the vehicle home. This could even happen if you were taking a cab and the cab driver was pulled over for DUI. However, most LEO's give you a reasonable opportunity to find an alternate mode of transport. She either was unable to do so or pissed the police off. Either way, the police were well within their rights to charge her.

[sam]

Hello eveyone: She did the right thing by not drving, but she did the wrong thing by letting a DRUNK driver drive here back .

Does the sheriff have the right to arrest a drunk passenger? YES THEY DO.............its just a fine line law..

Was she aggressive? or is it beacuse shes a celb.? let it play out .

[AJ]

I heard a radio report this morning that stated the reason they took her into custody was because she was SO drunk she was physically unable to take of herself. And as far as the comment about the designated driver....there wasn't one.

[LDEarl]

How was it that she was also arrested? That`s a little much! What`s the purpose of having a "designated driver"...even if the (DD) get`s pulled over for a traffic violation, how is it the passinger can be cited for "public drunkenness"....wow!

[Pattyatty]

Sounds like she probably mouthed off pretty bad to the coppers. Maybe the "Don't you know who I am" blurb. Don't know but whatever she did it pissed the coppers off enough to arrest her. These guys/gals are doing their jobs and don't want to tangle with civilians...if you play nice they play nice. What is so hard to understand about that?

[Aprilluvv]

I am with you folks, if she was in the passenger seat .... she was not out in public!!! She was not a threat to anyone and should have been given a ride home!!!

[Tina Wren]

I hope she sues the West Hollywood Sherriff's Dept. for unlawful arrest. The Police and the unethical Municipal leaders that direct them to act this way need to be taught a lesson - WE DO NOT LIVE IN A POLICE STATE - Citizens will not tolerate this type of behavior from our governments

[GermaicanSpice]

So what is the problem??....She wasn't driving! You mean to tell me you cannot even be in a car as a passenger when you've had a few drinks, without risking getting arrested?? That doesn't sound right. I thought as long as there was a designated driver it is okay. I'm confused!

[anthony]

Perfect match for Charlie Sheen.

[DAWN]

IS THIS A LAW? CAN PASSENGERS CAN BE ARRESTED FOR BEING DRUNK IN A CAR EVEN WHEN THEY ARE NOT DRIVING?

[ROSS ALEXANDER]

The cop was probably still mad about his childhood bullying and never getting the hot girls .

[Cherry]

The driver was cited for drunk driving, and Aguilera also was taken into custody because she was intoxicated

They gave a ticket for the drunk driver and jailed Aguilera? What kind of madness is this. She should sue the station!!!!

[Gatta]

The police Dept should apologize io Christina!! Which " Top Gun" officer arrested her? His name should be public. Shame on him !!

When did the law change ? Aarrest a passenger? I hope there is a big law sue!!

[junior]

Does "public" include the privacy of a car? What does "public" mean?" What does 'private" mean? Will somebody please explain?

[KAS]

She probably got mouthy.. I'm sure there is more to the story.. media is so stupid and one-sided in their story writing.. AND HEY, I thought she was pregnant....

[Murdock]

What's the big deal? She was in a car driven by another drunk driver. The driver was arrested, leaving Christina drunk in a vehicle on the street. If she was too drunk to properly care for herself, then the sheriff's had to take her into custody for her own safety. The section she was booked for reads, in part:

647. Every person who commits any of the following acts is guilty of disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor:
(f)Who is found in any public place under the influence of intoxicating liquor, any drug, controlled substance... In a condition that he or she is unable to exercise care for his or her own safety or the safety of others, or by reason of his or her being under the influence of intoxicating liquor...

Had they just left her there and something happened, the county city, sheriff's would have been liable for her mis-fortune.