Dennis Rodman Pleads Guilty to DUI, Avoids Jail

Dennis Rodman pleaded guilty to DUI charges stemming from a January arrest Monday and will avoid jail time.

Rodman was pulled over in Newport Beach, California on Jan. 13 for a traffic violation. The 56-year-old Rodman took a sobriety test, which he failed. His breathalyzer test showed his blood-alcohol level at .21, more than twice the legal limit. He was then arrested and held in custody for seven hours.

A few days later, Rodman checked into rehab, but left after a week. His representative said he would be seeking treatment at an outpatient facility. In February, Rodman sent a video to TMZ, claiming he was sober.

TMZ reported Monday that Rodman agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor DUI charges. In exchange, he only has to attend a nine-month alcohol program.

At the time of his arrest, Rodman was already on probation for a July 2016 hit-and-run accident. His probation was initially revoked, but reinstated after his DUI plea deal. He was told he could get 90 days in jail if he is arrested in the next two years.

This was Rodman’s first DUI arrest since 1999, when he was still playing in the NBA. He was fined $2,000 and went to a three-month alcohol treatment program. Rodman also went to rehab in 2008 and 2014. He also starred in Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew in 2010.

“He’s just been going through a lot of emotional issues in the past couple of months,” Rodman’s rep Darren Prince said in a recent TMZ interview. “He’s battled alcohol issues over the years. I’d say going back a good 15-16 years it’s been going on. I just knew he was hitting a brick wall over the past couple of months, I knew that it was getting to a point where either he had to slow down or something was going to slow him down.”

Rodman played in the NBA From 1986 to 2000. He won the 1989 and 1990 NBA Finals with the Detroit Pistons, and the 1996, 1997 and 1998 Finals with the Chicago Bulls. He also played for the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks before retiring.

Rodman has also appeared on several reality shows, including The Apprentice. He has also gained notoriety as a friend of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un.