Having Julia Roberts play you in a movie doesn’t mean you’re exempt from breaking the law, as the real-life Erin Brockovich learned.
The consumer and legal advocate whose rags-to-riches story was documented in the 2000 movie was arrested Friday night for operating her boat while intoxicated in Lake Mead, Nevada.
Brockovich-Ellis – as she now goes by – had a blood alcohol level significantly higher than the 0.08 legal threshold level.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Brockovich-Ellis was trying to dock her boat when she was spotted visibly struggling. A game warden present at the scene tried to help her, and that’s when he noticed her slurred speech.
The 52-year-old was taken to the Clark County Detention Center and released on $1,000 bail.
“She was not sure how to maneuver the boat into the dock,” Edwin Lyngar, a spokesperson for the Nevada Department of Wildlife, told the Associated Press. “It’s a simple thing if you can think clearly. But if you add alcohol and unfamiliarity of the area, it can all cause serious problems.”
Brockovich-Ellis released a statement Sunday addressing the incident, claiming that while she was never in any real danger she was very sorry for her actions.
“At no time was the boat away from the dock and there was no public safety risk,” Brockovich said. “That being said, I take drunk driving very seriously, this was clearly a big mistake, I know better and I am very sorry.”
While working as a legal clerk in a small Southern California town in 1993, her efforts to sue Pacific Gas & Electric for polluting the town’s water supply made Brockovich a household name, and earned Julia Roberts an Oscar for the role.
Last year Brockovich-Ellis starred in the documentary “Last Call at the Oasis,” about the world’s growing water crisis.
This article was updated to correct Brockovich-Ellis’ blood alcohol level.
