Robert Downey Jr. Sent to Jail
By PAUL CHAVEZ, AP
MALIBU, Calif. (AP) - Actor Robert Downey Jr. was slapped in handcuffs and led
off to jail for at least six weeks Tuesday after acknowledging, again, that he is still
doing drugs. ``I am going to recover, but I'm still finding that difficult,'' the
34-year-old Downey told Superior Court Judge Lawrence J. Mira.
The admission came after a series of arrests, failed rehabilitation efforts and
second chances for the Oscar-nominated ``Chaplin'' star. The judge could have sentenced
Downey to prison for three years for violating probation by refusing to take a
court-ordered drug test. Instead, the judge ordered him jailed pending an Aug. 5
hearing to decide what will happen to Downey next.
He will be housed in the jail's drug rehab unit. The judge also ordered a
psychiatric examination. ``There's something I don't understand about you and your
use of narcotics,'' Mira said.
Downey previously acknowledged he has battled drugs for 2 decades. After
the 20-minute hearing, Downey, wearing a dark suit and tie, thanked the judge and deputies
led him away in handcuffs. ``Robert Downey Jr. came to court today with his drug counselor
and admitted he has a continuing drug problem. He asked the court for help and guidance,''
his publicist Alan Nierob said in a statement.
Downey's return to jail comes 18 months after Mira scolded him for bingeing on
drugs and jailed him for six months. During one of his many run-ins with the law, he
was stopped by police in 1996 for speeding on Pacific Coast Highway, and a cocaine, heroin
and a pistol were found in his pickup truck. A month later, he wandered into a
stranger's home and passed out on a child's bed. Downey's movie credits include
``Less Than Zero,'' ``Natural Born Killers,'' ``One Night Stand,'' ``Two Girls and a Guy''
and ``U.S. Marshals.'' His publicist said he is not working on a movie now.
