Rising popster Howie Day was arrested Thursday in Madison, Wisconsin for allegedly locking a woman in a bathroom after she rejected his sexual advances and breaking the cell phone of another woman who tried to call the police, Madison's Capital Times reports.
The Australian singer-songwriter, whose critically acclaimed debut album Stop All the World Now has quickly become a favorite among the teen and college set, was charged with two misdemeanors--criminal property damage and disorderly conduct.
Day, who had opened for rockers Barenaked Ladies on Wednesday at the Alliant Energy Center near the University of Wisconsin at Madison campus, was released from jail on Thursday after being detained several hours and posting $850 bond.
According to the criminal complaint, the incident took place after that night's concert when the 23-year-old strummer was signing autographs and invited four or five female fans back to his tour bus to party with he and other members of his band. Apparently, that was when things got just a little too cozy.
When one of the women used the bathroom in the back of the tour bus, Day followed her inside and tried to kiss her. The fan rebuffed him so the scruffy crooner left in a huff and locked her in. When Day refused to let her out, one of her friends tried to call police on her cell phone, prompting him to snatch it out her hands, smash it in half, then yell at them to get out.
"That was probably wrong of me," Day was quoted as telling police afterwards. "But I felt violated."
(Gee...wonder how she felt?)
After the woman got out of the bathroom and left the bus, the musician reportedly poured beer on the ladies from a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon.
A rep at Day's label, Epic Records, was unavailable for comment.
After the incident, Day admitted to officers that he broke the cell phone but later tried to change his story by saying he thought it might have been broken already.
And now that he's a big-time rocker, Day also acknowledged to police that inviting girls to "hang out" and "get together" are all part of the touring life and that they are there to "hook up or to drink." The complaint adds that when one of the women said "we didn't come here to hook up," he told her, "then leave."
The Australian singer-songwriter, whose critically acclaimed debut album Stop All the World Now has quickly become a favorite among the teen and college set, was charged with two misdemeanors--criminal property damage and disorderly conduct.
Day, who had opened for rockers Barenaked Ladies on Wednesday at the Alliant Energy Center near the University of Wisconsin at Madison campus, was released from jail on Thursday after being detained several hours and posting $850 bond.
According to the criminal complaint, the incident took place after that night's concert when the 23-year-old strummer was signing autographs and invited four or five female fans back to his tour bus to party with he and other members of his band. Apparently, that was when things got just a little too cozy.
When one of the women used the bathroom in the back of the tour bus, Day followed her inside and tried to kiss her. The fan rebuffed him so the scruffy crooner left in a huff and locked her in. When Day refused to let her out, one of her friends tried to call police on her cell phone, prompting him to snatch it out her hands, smash it in half, then yell at them to get out.
"That was probably wrong of me," Day was quoted as telling police afterwards. "But I felt violated."
(Gee...wonder how she felt?)
After the woman got out of the bathroom and left the bus, the musician reportedly poured beer on the ladies from a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon.
A rep at Day's label, Epic Records, was unavailable for comment.
After the incident, Day admitted to officers that he broke the cell phone but later tried to change his story by saying he thought it might have been broken already.
And now that he's a big-time rocker, Day also acknowledged to police that inviting girls to "hang out" and "get together" are all part of the touring life and that they are there to "hook up or to drink." The complaint adds that when one of the women said "we didn't come here to hook up," he told her, "then leave."
But that was before a lot of people knew him... fame can do crazy things to people, I guess.
), but I like his music.
