Celebrity Outlaws

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Kid Rock has pleaded not guilty to a charge of battery from a fight at a Waffle House in Atlanta.
Robert James Ritchie, better known as the musician Kid Rock, was not present for the plea.

Ritchie and five members of his entourage were arrested October 21st on a misdemeanor charge of simple battery. The charges stem from a fight at a a metro-Atlanta Waffle House, where they had stopped following his performance at The Tabernacle.

Officials say a fight broke out after another customer recognized a woman in Kid Rock's party and exchanged words with her, prompting Ritchie to exchange words, too.

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Steve-O of "Jackass" fame was arrested for investigation of vandalism and possession of a controlled substance at his Hollywood home.

Police arrested the 33-year-old co-star of MTV's prank-filled program at 5 a.m. Monday after a neighbor made a citizen's arrest following a dispute over a fence, Los Angeles police Officer Ana Aguirre said.

Steve-O, born Stephen Glover, was booked at a Hollywood police station on suspicion of vandalism and an outstanding traffic warrant, Aguirre said. He was also booked for investigation of possessing a controlled substance for allegedly having a small quantity of drugs on him, Aguirre said.

Aguirre did not provide further details.

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No criminal charges will be filed against "NYPD Blue" star Esai Morales over allegations that he raped his ex-girlfriend, a prosecutor's office spokeswoman said Friday.

The Los Angeles County district attorney's office rejected the case on Feb. 13, citing lack of evidence, spokeswoman Shiara M. Davila said.

"I'm happy that my client was vindicated," Morales' attorney, Richard Charnley, said Friday. "He was never questioned by the police, never taken into custody, there were never any charges brought against him."

Morales' former girlfriend, Elizabeth Mazzocchi, alleged that he raped her in April 2006. Morales has denied committing any crime, Charnley said. He also noted that Mazzocchi continued to live with Morales for months after the alleged rape.

The Associated Press generally does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted, but Mazzocchi has been very public with her allegations, including the holding of a news conference to detail accusations against Morales.

Mazzocchi has sued Morales in Los Angeles County Superior Court for unspecified damages, contending he raped her and gave her herpes. The lawsuit is awaiting trial.

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Los Angeles County sheriff's records show that the rapper, The Game, was released from jail just before midnight Sunday after serving eight days of a 60-day sentence.

The 28-year-old entertainer (real name: Jayceon Taylor) turned himself in March 2.

He was convicted last month of possession of a firearm in a school zone after being accused of pulling a gun on a player from an opposing team during a pickup game at a South Los Angeles school nearly a year ago.

The Game's lawyer, Shawn Chapman Holley, didn't return a phone message left seeking details about her client's early release.

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Richard Gere is free to go back to India ? and he may have a new reason to book a trip.

India's top court suspended an arrest warrant Friday against Gere, wanted for allegedly breaking public obscenity laws by kissing Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty at a public AIDS awareness event last year.

"Gere is allowed to come and leave. He can't be arrested," said Anil Grover, an attorney for Shetty, after attending the Supreme Court proceedings.

Chief Justice K. G. Balakrishnan and Justice R. V. Raveendran indefinitely stayed the arrest warrant issued against the actor last year by a court in the northwestern Indian city of Jaipur, Grover told The Associated Press.

Gere embraced and kissed Shetty on her cheek at the public AIDS awareness event in New Delhi on April 15 last year, prompting Hindu hard-liners to allege the pair had offended the sensibilities of India's traditionally conservative culture. Hindu activists filed three cases against Gere and Shetty last year, including one in Jaipur.

Shortly after the cases were filed by Hindu activists, Gere apologized for any offense he may have caused, but he also said the whole controversy was manufactured by a small hard-line political party.

The 58-year-old Buddhist actor and longtime Tibetan supporter is a frequent visitor to India, promoting health issues and the cause of Tibetan exiles, tens of thousands of whom live in India.

His publicist, Alan Nierob, said in an e-mail Friday to The Associated Press that Gere would have no comment on the matter. However, Gere did tell CNN he wasn't surprised protests led by Buddhist monks against Chinese rule in Tibet turned violent Friday.

"When you repress the people, they will explode," Gere told CNN. "All people will explode."

Eyewitness accounts and photos posted on the Internet portrayed a chaotic scene in Lhasa, the provincial capital, with crowds hurling rocks at security forces, hotels and restaurants. The U.S. Embassy said Americans had reported gunfire. U.S. government-funded Radio Free Asia reported two people killed.

Gere told the cable news network that "this is a time to be very clear with the Chinese."

"If you want to be a world power, you must behave in a certain way. This is not appropriate," said Gere, who co-founded the Tibet House and is board chairman of the International Campaign for Tibet.