The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been under a lot of scrutiny lately, given the arrest of Jonathan Majors. After this, the studio was quick to drop the actor from the upcoming Avengers 5. While this is something that happened recently, it’s not the first time that a notable actor of the MCU has found himself in legal trouble.
In this regard, Venom actor Woody Harrelson has also had his fair share of run-ins with the law. However, in one specific incident, he got away with treating a taxi driver in a really cruel way.
Woody Harrelson’s legal trouble with a taxi driver
Woody Harrelson has had several run-ins with the law throughout his life. What initially started with dancing in the middle of the street quickly escalated to him being charged and arrested when he tried to flee from the cops. He was 21 years old at the time and managed to avoid jail time by paying a simple fine. While many would have learned their lesson by now, Harrelson had other plans of his own.
The Venom actor was detained again in 2002 after a bizarre taxi chase in London (via The Guardian). The actor visited the China White nightclub and then took a taxi back to his hotel. In the car, the actor suddenly erupted in a fit of rage and smashed the taxi’s ashtray and lock. After doing so, he jumped out of the taxi, got into another cab, and sped off, prompting the driver of the cab, Les Dartnell, to call the police.
Following their pursuit of the actor across central London, they managed to intercept the second taxi in Sloane Square. Dartnell detailed the same in an interview with the Daily Mail (via Nicki Swift) and added:
The next thing I know, he’s kicking the door. Somehow, he managed to kick the whole thing open, breaking the lock; then he’s off, running down the street.
After damaging the taxi, the actor was fined £300 and had to stay in a jail cell for the remainder of the night before being released on bail. Following all of this, Dartnell decided not to file criminal charges against the actor, and an out-of-court settlement was reached.
In addition, the actor decided to turn the events of the night into a movie called Lost in London. In response to the said movie, Dartnell has stated publicly that the script doesn’t appear plausible. And the actor was so out of control that night that he would be surprised if he remembered anything at all.
Robert Downey Jr.’s run in with the law
Robert Downey Jr. is widely known for his slew of well-acclaimed movies. But before he turned his life around, he was experiencing a period of extreme turmoil. The Sherlock Holmes actor’s first run-in with legal trouble happened in 1996, when he was stopped for speeding on the Pacific Coast Highway. But that’s not the surprising part.
When the police checked his car, they found drugs like cocaine and heroin. Apart from the drugs, they also discovered an unloaded but hidden .357-caliber Magnum revolver. After this, he was arrested and later released on $10,000 bail. According to CNN, he was placed on probation and required to perform 100 hours of community service.
However, Robert Downey Jr. was jailed again, barely two weeks after the initial incident. According to the Chicago Tribune, he did this by entering a neighbor’s home while intoxicated and passing out in one of the bedrooms. He was given a three-year probationary sentence and mandated to go to rehab.
Nevertheless, the actor’s addictions persisted even after receiving assistance. However, he decided to sober up after 2003 and now speaks openly about his previous struggles.
You can stream Lost in London on Peacock, as well as rent it on Apple TV.
