It was a treat for rom-com fans to learn that Cameron Diaz was ‘back in action’. After retiring from Hollywood in 2014, the Charlie’s Angels actress is making her return to the acting scene in the upcoming Netflix movie, Back In Action. Diaz’s entry into the industry happened by chance, as the Annie actress had no intention of pursuing acting at that time. The Sex Tape actress began her career in modeling and briefly relocated to Paris to further her modeling career.
However, not only did she struggle to land modeling gigs in Paris, but The Holiday actress also landed herself in trouble when she unwittingly became involved in drug smuggling into Morocco. It was nothing short of a miracle that she ultimately became a Hollywood icon instead of rotting in a foreign jail.
Cameron Diaz Was Deceived Into Carrying Drugs To Morocco
Cameron Diaz eventually landed a dream career when she was cast as Tina Carlyle in The Mask. Diaz was persuaded to audition for the Jim Carrey film by one of her modeling agents and she caught the attention of director Chuck Russell. However, before landing her breakthrough role, the Gangs of New York actress was almost arrested for a serious crime.
During an appearance on the Second Life podcast with Hillary Kerr, Diaz opened up about the lowest point in her modeling career. While explaining her challenges, Diaz revealed that she almost became a drug mule accidentally, which she jokingly suggested was the only job she seemed to get in Paris. The Box actress shared with Second Life:
“I was there a full year, and I didn’t work one day. I couldn’t book a job to save my life. I got like one job, but really I think I was like a mule carrying drugs to Morocco — I swear to God.”
It was not uncommon in the ‘80s and ’90s to use such models as drug carriers without their knowledge. They would be handed a suitcase which was supposedly filled with their costumes, but would eventually contain drugs to be carried across borders. Diaz was handed one such suitcase, which she shared “had my ‘costumes’ in it … quote, unquote”. Fortunately, Diaz narrowly escaped the prospect of jail time as an accomplice in the crime.
Cameron Diaz Was Lucky To Not Have Landed In Jail
Cameron Diaz shared that she only realized the gravity of the situation once she arrived at the Morocco airport. She became aware of her appearance, which might have raised suspicions among the officials. She also realized her mistake in accepting a suitcase from a stranger with no idea of what was in it. The Bad Teacher actress shared with Hillary Kerr:
“All of the calculations in my head went running back, like ‘what the fuck is in this suitcase?’ I’m this blond-haired, blue-eyed girl in Morocco, it’s the ’90s, I’m wearing torn jeans and platform boots and my hair down, and this is really unsafe. That was my only job I ever got in Paris.”
The Green Hornet actress explained her situation to the officials, and lucky for her, the security measures in place for such drug-related offenses were not as severe as they are today. The Knight and Day actress vowed never to engage in anything as reckless again. Following her appearance in The Mask, Diaz got a handful of roles in Hollywood, before she retired in 2014 after 20 successful years in the industry.
In her retirement period that lasted till 2022, she founded an organic wine brand and wrote two health books – The Body Book: Feed, Move, Understand and Love Your Amazing Body and The Longevity Book: The Science of Aging, the Biology of Strength, and the Privilege of Time.
Source: Second Life podcast
