This sure hasn’t been a great week in terms of domestic violence awareness. First Vanilla Ice was let off the hook after his arrest for hitting and kicking his wife last month. Unfortunately his wife refused to press charges. Now former NBA bad boy Dennis Rodman has been arrested as well. According to his lawyer, it can all be blamed on a drinking problem and a bad divorce. He does a pretty bad job trying to make Rodman look like the victim.

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman was arrested last night on suspicion of felony domestic battery. He was arrested at 11:00 PM at a Century City hotel and was released early this morning. Law enforcement tells us they charge suspects with a felony if there is evidence of injury, such as bruising or blood. Rodman was released on $50,000 bail today at 4:16 AM.

UPDATE: Rodman’s manager Darren Prince tells TMZ, “Last night Dennis and his girlfriend had too much to drink. When they returned to their hotel they started arguing and a minor altercation broke out where Dennis grabbed her by the arm and left a bruise.” Hotel security got involved and called LAPD, who responded and made the arrest. We’re told Dennis plans to enter a rehab facility immediately upon returning to Florida because — according to Prince — “his drinking has been escalating in the last six weeks due to a nasty divorce and not seeing his children in over two months.”

[From TMZ]

A bruise can still indicate some pretty rough, scary force, depending on the kind of bruise. Darren Prince makes it sound like it’s no big deal, and just a technicality. But when you hear about someone being beaten “black and blue,” it’s black and blue with bruises. Obviously that’s not what happened here as it sounds like Rodman’s girlfriend likely just had the one bruise on her arm. But my point is that you can get roughed up pretty badly and have bruises to show for it – lack of broken bones doesn’t mean what went on was some petty little domestic squabble.

Hopefully Rodman will get his ass into rehab – and it’d be great if the prosecutor on his case takes it more seriously than Vanilla Ice’s did.

Here’s Rodman at the Arby’s Action Sport Awards Show (yeah I laughed too) on November 30th, 2006. Images thanks to PR Photos.

Vanilla Ice, aka Robert Van Winkle, is off the hook for beating up his wife. Winkle hit and kicked wife Laura on April 10th, leading her to call the cops. However when they got there, Mrs. Van Winkle had a lot less to say to them – citing a desire to avoid media attention. Vanilla Ice was forced to spent the night in jail to “cool down” – and now prosecutors have declined to press charges against him.

Prosecutors in Palm Beach, Fla., have dropped a charge of simple domestic battery against Vanilla Ice, citing lack of evidence, E! News has learned.

“There was no likelihood of conviction,” said a spokeswoman for the state attorney in Palm Beach County. According to the “no file” declaration, officials declined to press the battery charge against the 40-year-old “Ice Ice Baby” purveyor (real name: Robert Van Winkle) after wife Laura Van Winkle retracted allegations that he had hit and kicked her during a spat at home.

“There is insufficient credible evidence to prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt due to the victim recanting her original statement and lack of an independent witness,” the document reads.

The county clerk and sheriff also rescinded a restraining order barring Ice from having contact with his missus and only allowing him monitored visitation with their two children, 8-year-old Dustee Rain and 10-year-old Keelee Breeze.

[From E! News]

Domestic abuse victims recanting their stories isn’t exactly unheard of. Some counties have rules stating that charges must be filed, even if the victim refuses to cooperate. Many counties have a rule that someone must be arrested – or at least leave the scene – after a domestic dispute. Vanilla Ice’s temper was on full display when he was a costar on VH1’s The Surreal Life a few years ago. The guy is nothing but a loser with serious issues. Laura Van Winkle told police she wanted a divorce – hopefully they’ll get one – quickly.

Here’s Vanilla Ice in January, 2004. Images thanks to PRPhotos.

That Amy Winehouse is one consistently lucky lady. Despite a night in which she physically assaulted two men, did drugs in public, trashed a bar, and smashed her head against a lamppost, she was released from police custody with only a caution – similar to a citation. Winehouse did end up spending the night in jail; however she was not arrested and won’t be charged with assault.

Normally I’d say I hope she’s laying in her nice bed at home, feeling incredibly grateful that she got off so easily. But because it’s Amy Winehouse, I’m pretty sure she’s managed to visit 10 bars in the last 10 hours, partake of at least 7 different drugs, and drink somewhere in the neighborhood of 18 shots. So I doubt she’s sitting at home writing in her gratitude journal.

Amy Winehouse left a London police station Saturday after questioning about reports that she scuffled with two men during a raucous night out. She received a formal police caution for assault. The caution means the 24-year-old soul diva has not been charged, but the incident will remain on the record and could count against her if she is ever charged with a similar offense in future.

Winehouse spent the night at Holborn Police Station in central London after arriving for questioning Friday afternoon. Police said a 24-year-old woman had been cautioned for common assault. British police do not identify suspects who have not been charged.

A statement released by Winehouse spokesman Chris Goodman said the singer “admitted to a common assault by slapping a man with an open hand and accepted a caution. Amy was fully cooperative with inquiries and apologized for the incident,” the statement said

[From the Huffington Post]

I am still a little confused because all the media reports are saying Amy admitted to the slapping of one of the guys – but what about the guy she punched in the lip, and the man she famously headbutted? Perhaps those incidents are still up in the air – or perhaps the police have decided not to pursue them.

This would have been a wonderful opportunity for the Metropolitan police to show Amy that there are direct consequences for her actions, and that you can’t go around headbutting people whenever you feel like it. Yeah I know she was on drugs – but if you choose to take the drugs, all the resulting decisions you make are your responsibility as well. It seems like everyone is missing each and every opportunity to get Amy some sort of help. And I hate to say it, but this just won’t end well.

Here’s Amy before she went to the police station on Friday. Images thanks to Splash.

Amy Winehouse’s life sure has fallen apart. They say you have to let a person reach rock bottom – I’m not sure how much farther this woman can fall. The only thing in her life that isn’t completely ruined is her singing career – and most would say that’s on the way out too. The bosses at her record label have supposedly given her an ultimatum: clean up your act or it’s done. Yet Amy’s life just seems to be getting worse and worse, and her behavior more and more dangerous.

Two nights ago Amy went on a rampage at a bar – physically assaulting two men, doing drugs in public, trashed the bar, and smashed her head against a lamppost. As a result, Amy was interviewed by the police today, where she appeared to suffer a bit of a breakdown.

Amy Winehouse broke down in tears this afternoon as she prepared to be questioned by police over claims she attacked a man after a night out.

The troubled singer, 24, arrived at a London police station this afternoon for questioning. She is expected to be arrested after a 38-year-old man alleged she assaulted him. She was clearly distressed as she was driven away from her home in Camden, North London.

Police were expected to question Winehouse about an incident in Chalk Farm Road in the early hours of Wednesday. She was trying to get the taxi when a 38-year-old man approached… She is said to have believed he was trying to molest her and butted him in the face. If convicted of assault she could face up to six months in jail and a £2,000 fine.

[From the Daily Mail]

And in further bad news for Amy Winehouse, it sure seems like jailbird husband Blake Fielder-Civil has moved on from Amy and found a new lady to romance. The Daily Mail reports that he was mouthing “I love you” to a blonde woman in court, and she kept mouthing it back. Sounds just like him and Amy, back in those halcyon days of four months ago.

Meanwhile, Winehouse’s husband Blake Fielder-Civil appeared at Snaresbrook Crown Court, in East London, charged with assault and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. Amy failed to turn up for the hearing – not that Fielder-Civil appeared to notice. He was warned for repeatedly smiling and trying to communicate with a beautiful blonde sitting in the public gallery.

He mouthed, “You all right, babe?” and “I love you” to Sophie Schandorff. Fielder-Civil even made a beckoning gesture suggesting she visit him in prison. Schandorff, 21, also gestured and mouthed back, “I love you, I love you”, but was warned to stop by the court clerk. She later told reporters that Fielder-Civil was a close friend and that the pair had known one another for sometime.

[From the Daily Mail]

Something tells me it’s no matter to Amy – the Daily Mail also mentions that Amy spent most of last night with rocker Kristian Marr. Apparently they were holding hands and grabbing each other’s asses the whole night. Somehow Blake’s “I love you” to a woman who’s not his wife seems much more refined when compared to ass grabbing. In a way it’s a shame – those two sure did seem like one messed up, perfectly paired match. And it seems that the hope that Amy would get her life together if she could just get rid of Blake was for naught. Who knows, maybe the two will reunite in jail.

Update: Hollywood TV is reporting that Amy’s rep has denied that she’s been arrested. She’s insisting Amy is “voluntarily” helping police. That sounds about right – but that doesn’t mean she won’t be arrested.

Header of Amy being escorted into the Holborn Police station for questioning. Imags thanks to Splash. Below are photos from the rest of Amy’s night after her “traumatic” day at the police station. WENN notes: Amy Winehouse goes on another late night bender in Camden visiting the same pub, ‘The Good Mixer’ as the night before. She stocked up on disposable lighters at her local newsagent and was guided home by friends pulling bizarre facial expressions, and sniggered uncontrollably. Images thanks to WENN.

CNN and CNN International reporter Richard Quest has predictably gone into rehab as part of a plea deal with prosecutors. You may remember that Quest was arrested with methamphetamine in his pocket in Central Park last Friday. Equally surprising was that Quest had a rope tied around his genitalia and some sort of sex toy in his boot at the time. Quest was in the park around 3:45 in the morning, well after it’s closed. I’m guessing it was the rope that made police really pay attention – otherwise they probably would have just yelled at him to get out of the park.

As part of his plea deal, the charges against Quest will be dropped, pending successful completion of his treatment.

CNN’s UK-born presenter Richard Quest has embarked on a course of drug rehabilitation following his arrest last Friday in New York. The US news broadcaster today issued a statement confirming that Quest, a familiar face on the network, had entered a “drug rehabilitation facility” on the orders of a judge following his arrest.

“At this time, CNN’s primary concern is for his health and wellbeing. We look forward to Richard returning to CNN International,” the broadcaster said in a statement. A CNN spokesman declined to “speculate” on when Quest would return to the network he joined in 2001. He began his career as a BBC news trainee in 1985 and spent 16 years at the corporation.

During a court arraignment early on Saturday, he agreed to undergo drug counseling and therapy for the next six months in order to avoid a prison sentence. At CNN Quest has made his name as a business reporter and presenter. He also hosts the monthly specials CNN World Business Traveler and fronted the Quest series of shows on diverse subjects.

[From the Guardian]

It will be interesting to see what kind of career awaits Richard Quest at CNN. The network is notoriously intolerant of their employees getting any kind of press for anything outside the direct scope of their jobs. They fired producer Chez Pazienza for running his popular blog Deus Ex Malcontent. What in the world do you think a dildo in the shoe will get Richard Quest?

In case anyone was holding out any hope for Amy Winehouse, the Sun has a pretty sad story of how she spent her time last night that will rid you of any remaining optimism. Amy’s not just back to drugs – she’s back to batshit crazy. Last night – when she was on God only knows what – she trashed a bar, headbutted a man, punched a Moroccan musician in the mouth, smoked drugs on the sidewalk outside the bar, and smashed her head into a lamppost. And of course, it was all caught by paparazzi. That’s one busy night. I don’t know about you, but it normally take me at least a year to get all those things done. And rarely do I physically attack more than one person a night, unless I’m really, really cranky.

The junkie singer, 24, is to be quizzed by police after claims she headbutted a Good Samaritan who hailed her a cab outside a bar. Rehab star Amy, said to have punched a second victim in the face, sank to a horrific new low while high on Class A drugs. Onlookers told how the married singer also snogged a mystery fella at a nightspot and shocked punters by overturning tables and drinks. She was later seen smoking drugs in the street, walked into a lamppost, and riled a cabbie by paying only half her promised fare home.

Another man tried to get her a cab, but she reportedly thought he was trying to molest her and allegedly butted him in the face. A source said: “He said she was a snarling tigress. It’s said she caused a serious amount of damage.” The alleged victim told cops yesterday. The star, whose husband Blake Fielder-Civil is in jail awaiting trial on trial-fixing allegations, promised the cabbie £40 to take her home. She persuaded him to stop en route so she could buy newspapers — but staggered into the lamppost, nearly smashing her head. On arriving home, she angered the driver by paying only £20.

[From the Sun]

Lest you think this was all embellished by the Sun (a valid concern, certainly), People has confirmed with the Metropolitan Police that they’re looking into the events of the night – and Winehouse may be arrested.

British police have confirmed to PEOPLE that they are investigating claims that Amy Winehouse attacked a man in a London street early Wednesday morning.

“Police are investigating an alleged assault on Chalk Farm Road at approximately 3:20 am on April 23,” says a Metropolitan Police spokesman. “A 38-year-old man [contacted] Kentish Town police station and alleged a 24-year-old woman had assaulted him. No arrests have been made as yet but inquiries continue.”

[From People]

Well that’s quite the eventful evening, even for Miss Winehouse. Perhaps it’s time she check herself into rehab, no? Or maybe jail? Can a person check herself into jail in the UK? I’m pretty sure the answer is no, but I’m equally sure if there were ever t time to make an exception, it’s right now. Amy is seriously close to spending the rest of her life in a locked mental ward. It is possible to do permanent damage with several different drugs – and something tells me Amy’s on them.

It might be time to re-evaluate the whole rehab idea. Obviously a person won’t be successful in rehab until they want to get better – but at this point, it might be worth it just to keep Winehouse from doing any more serious damage.

Here’s a few snaps from Amy’s night. She’s photographed holding another man’s hand, along with hugging lots of various strangers. Apparently she likes to attack and hug strangers off and on. Amy also got locked out of her house and had to break in through the garage at the end of the evening. Images thanks to WENN.

On Friday morning CNN journalist Richard Quest was arrested in Central Park with methamphetamine in his pocket. Quest is best known for his work on CNN’s late-night international programming and his hour-long show Quest. Originally it was reported that Quest was arrested for being in the park after it was closed… and while that’s technically true, it turns out there’s a lot more to the story than that. According to the New York Post, there was a good deal of kink going on when Quest was arrested – he had a rope around his neck that was also tied to his genitals.

CNN personality Richard Quest was busted in Central Park early yesterday with some drugs in his pocket, a rope around his neck that was tied to his genitals, and a sex toy in his boot, law-enforcement sources said. Quest, 46, was arrested at around 3:40 a.m. after a cop spotted him and another man inside the park near 64th Street, a police source said.

The criminal complaint against Quest said the park was closed at the time – something Quest should have known because of all the signs saying “Park Closed 1 a.m. to 6 a.m.” Quest was initially busted for loitering, the source said. Aside from the oddly configured rope, the search also turned up a sex toy inside of his boot, and a small bag of methamphetamine in his left jacket pocket.

It wasn’t immediately clear what the rope was for.

[From the New York Post]

I’m sure we can all guess a few things that the rope might have been for. How many of us have enjoyed playing Cowboys and Indians in the park? The rope was obviously for some kind of lasso. Or perhaps to wrangle wayward cattle. While I personally have never encountered any member of the bovine family in Central Park, it’s a pretty big place and you never know what animals you’ll stumble upon. It sounds to me like Richard Quest was just following the Boy Scout motto of always being prepared. Last time I checked the Boy Scouts didn’t include any mention of sex toys and meth, but times are changing and I could just be out of the loop.

The other man that was with Quest was given a summons for not having any identification on him. Quest was not charged with lewdness because he wasn’t exposing himself. So for any of you out-of-towners, it’s good to know that it’s perfectly legal to tie ropes around your genitals in public. But not having your I.D. on you might get you in a bit of trouble.

Quest spent most of Friday behind bars while his lawyer negotiated with the district attorney. He agreed to six months of drug counseling, and in return will have the charge dismissed upon successful completion of the drug program. Really, not a bad deal for hording meth and sex toys, when you think about it. If Quest had been caught doing the same thing in a Tad’s Steakhouse, he would have been given applause and a free dinner.

CNN reporter and business travel expert Richard Quest was arrested this morning by police in Central Park. He was originally detained for breaking the park’s curfew (it’s closed from 1 a.m. – 6 a.m.) at 3:40 in the morning. As he was being escorted out of the park by officers, he voluntarily told them that he had methamphetamine in his pocket. He was then arrested and was arraigned today on drug possession charges.

Richard Quest, a reporter and business travel specialist for CNN International, is being arraigned today on a misdemeanor charge of drug possession after the authorities said he was found with methamphetamine in Central Park.

The police noticed Mr. Quest at 64th Street and West Drive at about 3:40 a.m., the official said. As he was being escorted out, he volunteered, “I have meth in my pocket,” according to an official briefed on the case. The police searched him and recovered a small amount of methamphetamine in a Ziploc bag.

Mr. Quest is a high-profile correspondent for CNN International, known for feature reports and profiles. CNN calls Mr. Quest, who is British, one of the network’s “most instantly recognizable members.” He hosts “CNN Business Traveler” and a feature program titled “Quest” for the news network. CNN had no immediate comment.

[From the New York Times]

Richard Quest is definitely one of the more recognizable reporters on CNN. He’s known for his big grin and generally ebullient nature – and of course his distinctive British accent. He also was won the Funniest Newsman contest at Infohunks.

64th and West Drive is only five blocks up and about a block into the park from CNN’s headquarters at Columbus Circle. Quest must keep pretty odd hours due to the nature of his job – he reports for both CNN and CNN International. One can only wonder if he was working at the studio late at night and left for… well obvious reasons. Richard Quest always has so much energy on the air – I always attributed that to him being a real character, but now I’m starting to rethink a bit.

Brigette Bardot in the 1960s

French actress and general rabble-rouser Brigitte Bardot, 73, is on trial this week for inciting racial hatred in France. And this is not the first time Bardot has been on trial – since 1997, she’s been fined four times for breaking France’s strict antiracism laws. Bardot isn’t one of those silly little Hollywood types that gets her law breaking urges out of the way with a common DUI. Instead she writes angry letters about Muslims – sometimes using an animal-rights activist angle, and sometimes railing against them just because.

France (and much of the countries in Europe) has very strict antiracism laws. It is against the law to incite racial or religious discrimination or hatred of any sort. Bardot’s current trial came about after she wrote a letter in 2004 to current president (then Interior Minister) Nicolas Sarkozy in which she railed against the Muslim festival of Eid-al-Kabir. The festival traditionally includes the slaughtering of a sheep.

In the letter, which was later published in the quarterly journal belonging to Bardot’s eponymous animal-welfare foundation, the …And God Created Woman star attributed France’s perceived decline to its growing Muslim population. “I am fed up with being under the thumb of this population which is destroying us, destroying our country and imposing its acts,” Bardot wrote. The activist group Movement Against Racism and for Friendship between Peoples, or MRAP, filed suit against her last year.

The former screen siren has been fined four times since 1997 for violating France’s strict antiracism laws, which prohibit the incitement of religious or racial hatred and discrimination. Bardot’s first conviction came for a letter published in the newspaper El Figaro in which she complained about a large influx of Muslims contributing to “foreign overpopulation.”

[From E!]

The assistant prosecutor of Bardot’s case noted that she was getting pretty tired of dealing with her. She asked the judge for a fine of about $24,000 and a suspended two-month prison sentence. Something tells me that won’t make Brigitte Bardot keep her thoughts to herself. It’s hard to tell if her issue is just over the animals, or about Muslims in general. From the brief mention of her first letter, it seems that she has some issues with both.

Brigette Bardot in 1990

Police have recommended to prosecutors that they charge Richie Sambora with a DUI and child endangerment stemming from his arrest in March. The Bon Jovi guitarist was pulled over after cops spotted his Hummer driving erratically in Laguna Beach. Sambora’s girlfriend Jenn Mallini was in the car along with his daughter, Ava, 10 and her teenage cousin. He may serve jail time.

Police have recommended to prosecutors that Richie Sambora be charged with DUI and child endangerment – both as misdemeanors – stemming from his March 25 arrest, says a source close to the case. Last week, Laguna Beach Police handed over the case to the Orange County Calif. District Attorney’s Office, which has not announced any formal charges yet.

“Because the case is under review, I can’t discuss the details,” DA spokeswoman Farrah Emami told PEOPLE. “Ultimately, we have to base our decision on the available evidence.” If Sambora is formally charged with both misdemeanors, a jail sentence is likely, legal experts say. “Assuming Sambora was driving with over a .08 blood-alcohol level with a passenger under 14 in the car, he’s looking at probable jail time,” says veteran DUI lawyer Lawrence Taylor, who’s not involved with the case. “But it’s possible this can be plea bargained to a lesser offense, and/or he could get rehab in lieu of jail.”

[From People]

People notes that Sambora’s had a pretty hard last few years – not that it in any way excuses his behavior. He divorced Heather Locklear – Ava’s mom – his father died of lung cancer, he went into rehab – which clearly wasn’t successful – and supposedly Locklear has been suicidal recently (depending on who you believe), which has further concerned Sambora. I’m surprised he hasn’t gotten his butt back in rehab, if for no other reason than to help his public image. Bon Jovi performed in Las Vegas this weekend, where Sambora was on his best behavior and only drank water. Hopefully he’s working hard on his sobriety right now.

Here’s Richie Sambora and Jon Bon Jovi speaking during the 2008 ASCAP “I Create Music” Expo at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood, CA on April 10, 2008. Images thanks to Splash.