Christina Aguilera [1] was taken into custody for public intoxication in West Hollywood early this morning (Mar. 1), while her boyfriend, Matthew Rutler, was arrested for drunk driving. The story was first reported by TMZ [2] and has been confirmed by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.
According to a release from the Sheriff's Department, Rutler was pulled over at 2:45 AM in West Hollywood and was determined to be driving under the influence of alcohol. Aguilera was a passenger in the car, and deputies determined that the singer was intoxicated.
While a representative from the Los Angeles Sheriff's Headquarters Bureau told Billboard.com at 11 AM EST that Aguilera had not been arrested, Sheriff's Department representative Steve Whitmore has since clarified in a press conference with reporters that the singer was technically arrested. "[Aguilera] was not capable of taking care of herself. She was incapacitated, she was cooperative, she was not belligerent in any way whatsoever. She was just intoxicated. So what we do is that we do indeed arrest the individual on a misdemeanor public intoxication, but we have no desire to prosecute," Whitmore says. Aguilera was subsequently released when she was "able to navigate and think on her own" at 10:30 AM EST, while a $5,000 bail was set for Rutler.
Aguilera recently received criticism for flubbing the lyrics of the National Anthem while performing at the Super Bowl on Feb. 6. The singer also stumbled onstage a week later at the Grammy Awards ceremony while performing a tribute to Aretha Franklin [4] alongside Jennifer Hudson [5], Yolanda Adams [6], Martina McBride [7] and Florence Welch [8].
Christina Aguilera Defends Super Bowl National Anthem Flub [9]
- News [11]
