A “Django Unchained” actress and her boyfriend who were accused of having sex inside a parked car in Studio City pleaded no contest Monday to a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace, and they were ordered to issue written apologies to three Los Angeles police officers.
Daniele Watts made headlines following her Sept. 11, 2014, arrest when she made allegations of racial profiling by police — allegations that were rebuffed by an audio recording of her conversation with the arresting officer.
As part of their plea deal, Watts and her boyfriend, Brian Lucas, were each ordered to perform 40 hours of community service, according to the City Attorney’s Office. They were also ordered to write apology letters to the three LAPD officers who responded to the scene and to the occupants of the third floor of a Ventura Boulevard building that overlooked the arrest scene.
They are due back in court Aug. 6 for a progress report hearing.
Both had originally been charged with a misdemeanor count of lewd conduct.
Los Angeles police said officers received a report about indecent exposure in the 11900 block of Ventura Boulevard around 3 p.m. Sept. 11. A witness reported that a man and a woman were having sex inside a silver Mercedes with the door open, according to police.
Watts, who denied any wrongdoing, complained later that she was a victim of racial profiling by police, noting that she is black and her boyfriend is white. The actress also refused to provide police with any identification.
She and her boyfriend were eventually released.
The LAPD began an internal investigation into the actions of the responding officers, one of whom later released an audiotape of his conversation with Watts.
The release of that tape called into question Watts’ allegations of racial profiling and mistreatment by the officers.
Some local civil rights activists who had spoken out in support of Watts later backed off and called on the actress to apologize to police.
