Jonathan Rhys Meyers Arrested

Posted on November 19, 2007 at 5:06 am (PST)

Jonathan Rhys Meyers was arrested and charged with public drunkenness and breach of the peace at Dublin Airport. Rhys Meyers (30) was arrested Sunday after police twice confronted him over his erratic, abusive behavior at an airport gate and at a desk of the British airline BMI, on which he was planning to fly to London. Police charged him with two counts of violating the Public Order Act, then permitted him to pay an undisclosed cash bail on condition he return to Dublin District Court on December 5 for his arraignment.

Rhys Meyers, who was admitted to a California alcoholism-treatment clinic in April 2007, and checked out the following month, was in Dublin to appear on "Tubridy Tonight," a Saturday night national talk show to promote his new film, "August Rush," costarring Robin Williams.

In an interview last year on the set of "The Tudors," Rhys Meyers said he felt restricted socializing in Ireland because of its hard-drinking pub culture.

"I gave up drinking a few years ago, and this is the first time I’ve spent time in my country trying not to drink," he told The Associated Press in October 2006.

"I would never drink again. It is hard to avoid. But listen, you do what you want to do. I don’t want to do that," he said. "I want my career, and you can’t really do that and be successful on the screen.

"I’m young. If I grow older, which I hope I do, there’s going to be an awful lot of time to sit in your 60s and 70s and 80s, lots of time for Southern Comfort and ice then," he said. "Now? I’ve got business to take care of."

Yes … and now Rhys Meyers needs to eat his words and take care of business. He’ll be back in rehab if he knows what’s good for him.