Jonathan Rhys Meyers in trouble again: Detained at LAX after launching abusive tirade at wife Mara on flight
Actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers was detained by the police on Sunday after he allegedly got into a drunken fight with his wife at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The 'Bend it like Beckham' was also reportedly caught vaping inside the toilet of a flight
The 40-year-old Golden Globe-winning actor was traveling with his wife Mara and their one-year-old son on American Airlines from Miami to Los Angeles. He was accused of behaving obscenely with his wife, with passengers reported to have been upset at the profanity of the argument between the couple.
Myers was also accused of smoking inside the bathroom, which is a federal violation. When the flight attendants tried to stop him, he denied smoking the e-cigarette. LAX Airport cops detained Meyers after the plane landed. Although the argument with his wife didn't constitute a crime, LAX police tried reaching out to the FBI regarding the vaping but as the agency chose not to respond, Meyers was released, according to TMZ.
This isn't, however, the first time that the actor has been in trouble for his alcoholism. In 2017, Meyers was spotted at Dublin Airport before being escorted by the security guards, completely out of control, in a disheveled state. The actor was trying to board a transatlantic flight.
Mirror states that the actor was seen leaning against a wall for support as he attempted to travel to Vancouver. The report quotes an onlooker as saying, "He was staggering around for a good while. He wasn’t causing any hassle with anyone, he just seemed to be really intoxicated. It was very sad to see him like this.
"He looked like someone who didn’t have a clue where he was. He was completely out of it. Other passengers were concerned to see him in such a way just after 10 am...It really looked like his demons had caught up with him again. He's such a talented actor, it's tragic." The actor was seen wearing a light grey t-shirt, dark leather jacket, and tight black jeans. Unshaven, the 40-year-old seemed to struggle to stay up on his feet. He was caught wandering with a pack of 20 Marlboro Red in his hand.
Meyers' airport episode of 2017 took place after he and his wife Mara lost their second child due to a miscarriage. The recovering alcoholic had turned back to booze while Mara took to Instagram to post about her grief. Her post read: "/7/17 Forever Young 🙏🏻🙌🏻With much sadness, we open our hearts to share that J and I lost our second child, who was baking in the oven. The child was very very much wanted (right now especially by J, so he took the news particularly not so well) and we are still working with coping skills over here... when life throws us curve balls such as these. "
She also included a short message of support for her husband, whom she considers to be a strong person capable of turning his grief into art. "Depression is a real concern from past abuse as well as alcoholism which he was born with. He has been able to turn any ugliness and hurt in his life into art and is the strongest person I know. I do not know anyone who has been through what he has been through and reached his level of successes. It does seem though that every time we seem to be making so much progress... sometimes it's like two steps forward, one step back. "
The 'August Rush' actor has had a history of alcohol abuse. In 2005, the actor bounced in and out of rehab and has been arrested and detained several times for his drunken brawls. He got into some real trouble in 2007, six months after his second trip to rehab, when he was arrested for brawling in Dublin.
However, trouble wasn't over yet for the talented actor. He was once again detained, this time by the French police, in 2009 after he allegedly punched a Charles De Gaulle airport lounge employee. The actor was kept in a sober lock-up area for three hours before being released. Daily Mail states that he had checked into a Malibu facility in 2005 and 2007, and later again in 2009. Meyers publicly apologized to his fans in 2015 over a 'minor relapse' after he was spotted street drinking from a bottle of vodka.