‘Dancing With The Star’ Winner Arrested & Facing Jail Time
A popular DWTS winner was arrested in September for DWI after crashing their car. Charges have officially been filed, and they could see jail time. They wouldn’t be the first from the celebrity dance competition to face legal trouble. Keep reading for the shocking new details about the crash and what they’ve been charged with.
DWTS Winner Officially Charged After DWI Arrest
Millions of viewers watched Melissa Rycroft get her heart broken on Season 13 of The Bachelor. Jason Mesnick dumped her and ended their engagement to pursue a relationship with his runner-up, whom he later married.
The former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader nursed her broken heart with distraction. She joined Season 8 of DWTS. She came in fourth place but returned for the All-Star season. Melissa Rycroft and her dance partner, Tony Dovolani, took home the Mirrorball Trophy on Season 15.
She married Tye Strickland in 2009 and has three children. But the popular DWTS champ made headlines for the wrong reason in September. She was arrested in Southlake, Texas, for allegedly driving while intoxicated. The initial report didn’t have many details about the incident, but more information is available now.
TMZ reported that Melissa Rycroft told the police that she was involved in a hit-and-run. However, a witness disputed that, claiming that the DWTS winner was the only one involved in the crash. Furthermore, they claimed that she had been swerving her black Cadillac Escalade right before the crash. A nearby tree was damaged, along with the side of the car, suggesting that she may have hit the tree.
The police report states that Melissa Rycroft had “bloodshot eyes” and “slurred speech” after her arrest. Officers also smelled alcohol on her breath. She spent eight hours in jail before bonding out. The local DA officially charged her with operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and for having an alcohol concentration level of 0.15 or more at the time.
Former Bachelor Star Could Be Headed To Jail
The charges against Melissa Rycroft are misdemeanors, but the DWTS winner could still face jail time. Us Weekly reported that, per Texas law, a DWI conviction comes with “mandatory three days in jail and up to 180 days in jail” for first-time offenders.
Reality TV fans had a mixed reaction to news of the DWI arrest. Some fans thought that Melissa Rycroft allegedly driving under the influence was unforgivable. But others expressed concern for the former DWTS contestant.
Melissa Rycroft’s first and only public comments after her arrest were on a social media post. One fan wrote, “Some people would have the world believe that they have never made a mistake. I made the same mistake over 2 years ago because of a perfect storm of bad life events. There’s no excuse, but it happened,” in support of Melissa Rycroft.
The DWTS winner replied, “Life really sucks right now and I’m struggling, but I’m trying to march forward.” She hasn’t made any other comments about the arrest or the charges she faces. Stay tuned for more on this developing story.
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I HATE the slow reveal. He annoys me with that crap.