Django Unchained actress Daniele Watts has been fighting a bizarre charge against her for the past few months. The African-American actress recently pleaded not guilty to charges of misdemeanor lewd conduct stemming from an incident late last year when she and boyfriend Brian James Lucas were reported having sex in a parked car.
The Django Unchained actress has said all along that she and her boyfriend — whom she points out is white — were not having sex.
“We are, quite frankly, appalled and disturbed that the L.A. prosecutor’s office has chosen to file these charges against us,” the couple said in a statement in October.
“If a passionate public embrace while displaying no nudity is grounds for having charges filed against you, then we’d expect that everyone who engages in an extended public display of affection with their loved one will be targeted as well.”
The LAPD begs to differ. They say that they have “witnesses who were willing to provide evidence of a criminal act.”
What is more, the LAPD says that they would not have even had an investigation in the first place if Watts had simply cooperated with the officers who arrived at the scene. Instead, they say, the Django Unchained actress refused to provide ID and tried to walk away.
“If they had handled this situation in a civil manner, they would have never been charged or detained for that long,” the arresting officer said. “I would have been gone in five minutes.”
Watts, on the other hand, has accused the arresting officer of racism since her boyfriend is white.
Watts’ attorney Lou Shapiro said after her not guilty plea was entered, “I look forward to a positive outcome for my clients,”
If convicted, the couple faces up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. Their next hearing is scheduled for Feb. 23.