I always surprised myself with my naiveté (though I prefer the term “innocence”) by how disappointed I am with celebrities that I considered “nice” or “good” (i.e. “wholesome”) when they get in trouble for doing something really bad (i.e. arrested for soliciting tranny prostitutes… or something of that nature). On Friday night Barenaked Ladies singer/guitarist Steven Page was arrested for drug possession. I assumed it was the good ‘ol pot, or maybe mushrooms. Some kind of wholesome drug, if you will. Turns out it was for cocaine (i.e. “crack”).

It’s a Barenaked shame. Barenaked Ladies’ singer and guitarist Steven Page was arrested Friday in upstate New York and charged with possession of cocaine, a police spokesman confirmed. According to the Manilus Police Department, the 38-year-old musician and two women were holed up in an apartment in Fayetteville, just outside of Syracuse, at approximately 2 a.m. Friday, when a patrol unit arrived on scene to inspect a nearby car with its driver’s side door left open.

While investigating the “suspicious vehicle,” officers noticed Page and 25-year-old companion Stephanie Ford seated in an apartment kitchen with “an unknown white capsule in front of them.” After confronting the pair, police performed a field test and determined the substance was cocaine.

The two were taken into custody and booked on felony criminal possession of a controlled substance. Ford was also charged with marijuana posession [sic]. The third woman who resided in the apartment, 27-year-old Christine Benedicto, was not present at the time of the others’ arrest. She was booked a few hours later on a misdemeanor pot-posession [sic] count.

[From E! News]

The singer was released after ponying up a $10,000 bond. The band’s website is making it sound like Page is just an completely innocent bystander or something, noting “Steven has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and the validity of the charges against Steven will be strongly contested.” I hate when I’m just chilling in someone’s apartment at two in the morning and there happens to be cocaine there. Come on, who hasn’t had that happen to them a few times? Sounds like a simple case of someone being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Alright enough with the sarcasm. But you know they’re going to write a really, really funny song about this.

Here’s Steven Page with the rest of the Barenaked Ladies performing from their new kids CD “Snack Time” on May 10 at the Borders Books In Oak Brook, IL. Images thanks to PR Photos.