Celebrity News

Erin Brockovich ‘slapped husband, threw phone into water’ before boat arrest

New details are emerging about Erin Brockovich’s arrest last week.

Brockovich was arrested on suspicion of boating while intoxicated at Lake Mead near Las Vegas, and according to a police report obtained by TMZ, the 52-year-old environmental activist and her husband, Eric L. Ellis, were having a loud fight on their boat when a game warden approached them to check on the scene.

The warden said he asked Brockovich to moor the motor boat at the Las Vegas Boat Harbor but she admitted that she was “not very good at driving” it, so the warden docked the boat himself.

That’s when the warden noticed Brokovich was slurring her speech and smelled of alcohol. Brockovich, portrayed by Julia Roberts in the 2000 movie, was arrested late Friday night after breathalyzer tests showed her blood-alcohol level was just over twice the legal limit of .08, said Edwin Lyngar, spokesman for the Nevada Department of Wildlife.

Brokovich’s booking photo was released yesterday, where she appeared to be a far cry from her days as a perky blonde.

She was released from the Clark County Detention Center after posting $1,000 bail.

Brokovich has since apologized for her actions but stressed that she did not operate the boat in open waters. She only moved the boat within its own slip, she said.

“At no time was the boat away from the dock and there was no public safety risk,” Brockovich said. “That being said, I take drunk driving very seriously, this was clearly a big mistake, I know better and I am very sorry.

“After a day in the sun and with nothing to eat it appears that a couple of drinks had a greater impact than I had realized,” she added.

Under Nevada law, a first-time offense of boating while intoxicated is a misdemeanor that draws fines from $1,000 to $2,000 but no jail time. Authorities were unsure whether it was Brockovich’s first arrest on the charge.

WITH AP.