This Week: Hell On Wheels
Celebrities have their stylists, trainers, personal chefs and publicists, but it seems like they've all fired their chauffeurs.
Unfortunately, getting behind the wheel has landed a bunch of celebs in big trouble, even though they could easily afford a professional designated driver to shuttle them around.
Lindsay Lohan checked into rehab this week, following a weekend during which she crashed her Mercedes and was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence. Lohan "admitted herself to an intensive medical rehabilitation facility" on Monday, according to a statement released by her publicist, Leslie Sloane Zelnick. Her father Michael Lohan, who's fought his own battles with addiction, says his daughter is undergoing detox for OxyContin, among other substances.
David Hasselhoff's former wife, Pamela Bach, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to misdemeanor hit-and-run charge stemming from a fender-bender in North Hollywood. Her attorney said a "civil compromise" has been worked out and he expected the charge to be dismissed.
Photos: Livin' La Vida Lohan
Paris Hilton is preparing to serve her jail time for violating her probation in an alcohol-related reckless driving case. She has to check into the joint by 11:59 p.m. Tuesday.
Nicole Richie admits she's "nervous" about the possibility she may end up going to jail like her pal, Paris Hilton. Richie was charged with DUI in February and is due in court for a pre-trial hearing June 8. Richie told Ryan Seacrest on his radio show in Los Angeles that she understands she has to "take responsibility" and "deal with whatever consequences" come her way.
Celebrity driving trouble isn't limited to the United States. Singer George Michael, who has pleaded guilty to driving while unfit, had several drugs in his system when he was arrested, a court heard Wednesday. Tests showed the 43-year-old singer had taken a therapeutic quantity of an antidepressant as well as gamma-hydroxybutyrate, or GHB, prosecutor Andrew Torrington told Brent Magistrates' Court in London.
Comedian Tracy Morgan will be wearing an alcohol monitoring bracelet when he hosts Spike TV's "Guys Choice" awards June 13, as part of his court-ordered treatment as a result of a drunken driving arrest in New York.
Singer-actress Brandy and a man who was hurt in a deadly freeway crash involving her Range Rover are suing each other, it was reported Tuesday. The 20-year-old and Mallory Ham of Simi Valley, Calif., accuse each other of negligence in suits filed last week in Superior Court. Brandy's suit says Ham caused the Dec. 30 accident; Ham's contends that the singer drove recklessly and seeks unspecified damages.
Britney Spears realizes that she could have used a GPS for her life in the months that followed the breakup of her marriage. In an open letter to fans on her Web site, Spears wrote, "I realized how much energy and love I had put into my past relationship when it was gone because I genuinely did not know what to do with myself, and it made me so sad. I confess, I was so lost."
Photos: Miss Universe 2007
Miss USA Rachel Smith had an accident Sunday — and she wasn't even in a car. The beauty tripped and fell on her bottom during the evening gown competition at the Miss Universe pageant, but she still managed to be voted fourth runner-up.
Finally, Rosie O'Donnell didn't have to drive anywhere to go shopping on her first day off since leaving ABC's "The View." In a video posted on her Web site titled "First Day Off," O'Donnell sits with her daughter, Vivienne, in her lap and navigates through the shoe Web site and comments on shoes. Perhaps Miss USA would have made it down the runway without a mishap if she'd worn the Vans sneakers little Vivienne chose.