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Site bares cops’ mug shots
of celebrities

It was a terribly humiliating moment for actor Hugh Grant. You can see it in his expression and posture in the now-famous mug shot, taken in June 1995. According to Los Angeles police, officers caught the British actor in a compromising situation with West Hollywood hooker Stella Marie Thompson, aka Divine Brown, in a rented BMW. Grant pleaded guilty to lewd conduct, sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay a fine.

In a simpler bygone era, such a sordid story may have gone unnoticed or at least blown over quietly over time. Not so in this technology-driven age. With the growth of the Internet have come unprecedented acceleration and dissemination of up-to-the-minute information on the misdeeds of Tinseltown's biggest players. Poor Hugh will likely have his pitiable image plastered across cyberspace for all eternity.

Same goes for all the other sinful celebrities at www.thesmokinggun.com/mugshots, who at one time or another, have found themselves staring into the lens of a camera owned not by the paparazzi, but the local PD.

Perhaps the most recognized mug shot of recent times is the one taken of an expressionless O.J. Simpson, who in June 1994 was booked on suspicion of first degree homicide in the murders of Ron Goldman and ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson. You'll find it under the Smoking Gun's "Hollywood" category, among other sensational pics of naughty stars like Robert Downey, Jr., Carmen Electra, Nick Nolte and a piece-packin' Christian Slater.

Ever wonder what waking up with Yasmine Bleeth might be like? Click on her name to find a picture of the former "Baywatch" beauty following an arrest for cocaine possession, sans makeup.

Of course, actors aren't the only ones found skirting the law. Musicians and athletes are equally notorious for getting into hot water. Rockers Tommy Lee, Axl Rose and Scott Weiland and rappers DMX, Eminem and Lil' Kim are represented, as well as sportsmen Kobe Bryant, Dennis Rodman and Lawrence Taylor.

Note: Web sites mentioned in this column were active at time of publication. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin neither endorses nor is responsible for their contents.

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