Melissa Rycroft’s mug shot has been released following her arrest for allegedly driving while intoxicated last month.
In the photo, which Us Weekly obtained on Friday, October 3, the former Bachelor star, 42, looked disheveled as she stood in front of a teal background.
Rycroft’s eyes are puffy in the mugshot, and her brown hair is pulled over to one side. Her face is also red.
The photo was made public after news broke that Rycroft was arrested on September 23 in Texas for a DWI. TMZ reported that Rycroft was released on bond eight hours after she posted a $1,000 bail and promised to appear in court.
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Rycroft allegedly told officers at the time that a driver hit her car and fled the scene, but an eyewitness allegedly contradicted her report, according to a search warrant obtained by the outlet. The eyewitness alleged that Rycroft’s car was the only one involved in the incident.
Tarrant County police, meanwhile, claimed that Rycroft had “bloodshot eyes” and “slurred speech” while she stood next to an off-duty firefighter on the scene.
“I want to remind the public of the fundamental principle of our justice system … every individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty,” Rycroft’s attorney, Bret Martin, told TMZ in a statement on Friday. “We, as a society, have gotten completely away from this fundamental concept. My client was arrested on the allegation of Driving While Intoxicated. An arrest is no indication of guilt.”
The statement continued, “It is imperative that we closely examine the circumstances of this case — including the conduct of law enforcement, the toxicology results, and the facts surrounding her arrest — before any conclusions are drawn. We respectfully request that the media and the public allow the legal process to unfold, and withhold any judgment whatsoever until all of the evidence has been properly analyzed and presented in a court of law.”
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Rycroft has not publicly addressed her arrest. Us Weekly has reached out for comment.
Rycroft’s trouble with the law comes more than 15 years after she rose to fame on season 13 of The Bachelor, which aired in 2009. Rycroft won the season, winning Jason Mesnick’s final rose, but he later dumped her for runner-up Molly Mesnick. (Jason, 49, and Molly, 41, have been married since 2010.)
Following her split from Jason, Rycroft found love with former boyfriend Tye Strickland, whom she wed in December 2009. The pair went on to welcome three children, daughter Ava, 14, and sons Beckett, 11, and Cayson, 9.
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Rycroft, who is a former Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, exclusively told Us Weekly in November 2020, that she and Strickland are happy with their family of five.
“The problem is, we’re so far out of the newborn stage now,” she told Us when asked whether they wanted to expand their brood. “My youngest is four, and he’s the oldest baby that I’ve ever had in the house. I’m like, I don’t know if I could go back to the sleepless nights and the bassinet and the baby carrier.”
Rycroft added: “It’s kind of gotten to a point where they’re all kind of self-sufficient. They can play in the playroom, and I’m not worried about somebody dying. You know, life is good. … I put a decade of my life into that period. And now I’ve earned the reward.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
