Posted Apr 27th 2009 4:57AM by TMZ Staff
There's no place more dangerous in the world for a recovering alcoholic than a Blackjack table in Vegas -- but this weekend at the Hard Rock, Richie Sambora was in the mood to gamble...
Fortunately, the Bon Jovi guitar legend -- who went to rehab for booze in '07 and got a DUI in '08 -- only took a chance with the cards, because Sambora and his crew stuck to bottled water all night long.
That's a win in our book.
Filed under: Hot Vegas, Richie Sambora
Tags: bon jovi, BonJovi, hard rock hotel and casino, HardRockHotelAndCasino, las vegas, LasVegas, richie sambora, RichieSambora
Posted Jan 7th 2009 11:43AM by TMZ Staff
Looking like a homeless couple waiting for the bus, rehabbed exes Richie Sambora and Heather Locklear came together to watch their daughter Ava's soccer game in L.A. on Tuesday.
Alert their probation officers, because it looks like Richie and Heather are now dressing under the influence.
Filed under: Paparazzi Photo, Fashion, Heather Locklear, Richie Sambora
Tags: Heather Locklear, HeatherLocklear, Richie Sambora, RichieSambora
Posted Dec 5th 2008 4:15AM by TMZ Staff
Richie Sambora pled no contest to driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher earlier this year with his daughter in the car -- but he doesn't think that's bad enough to get him on Santa's "naughty" list.
Filed under: Holidaze, Richie Sambora
Tags: richie sambora, RichieSambora
Posted Oct 20th 2008 6:00PM by TMZ Staff
Heather Locklear and Richie Sambora have something in common other than his and hers DUIs -- their love for daughter Ava.
The ex-couple (plus Richie's new GF) reunited Saturday night at a hotel in Westlake Village, California to celebrate Ava's 11th b-day -- and though their Denise Richards-riddled split was rough, everything surprisingly looked A-O.K.
Filed under: Paparazzi Video, Heather Locklear, Richie Sambora
Tags: heather locklear, HeatherLocklear, richie sambora, RichieSambora
Posted Jul 14th 2008 2:17PM by TMZ Staff
Richie Sambora says ex-wife Heather Locklear is doing A-OK -- but he doesn't keep up with the exploits of one of his other famous exes.
Filed under: Heather Locklear, Richie Sambora
Tags: denise richards, DeniseRichards, heather locklear, HeatherLocklear, richie sambora, RichieSambora
Posted May 17th 2008 1:00PM by TMZ Staff
Richie Sambora was at LAX today, and although our photog hit the rocker with a barrage of questions, he played it pretty coy when asked who was hotter: Heather or Denise. It's hot vs. lukewarm!
Filed under: Music, Richie Sambora
Tags: richie sambora, RichieSambora
Posted Apr 26th 2008 11:22AM by TMZ Staff
You thought Richie Sambora's recent DUI arrest was his biggest problem? Now he's doing gigs at condominiums. Sounds like he's not wanted dead or alive!
Sambora appeared at the Las Olas River House in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He used the downtime between Bon Jovi gigs (they are currently on tour) to play the highly-prestigious gig. Guess there were no mall openings yesterday.
Sambora was popped for DUI last month and pled no contest to driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher earlier this week. There had been reports that prosecutors were going to file child endangerment charges, but they never did.
Filed under: Music, Richie Sambora
Posted Apr 22nd 2008 5:03PM by TMZ Staff
TMZ has learned Richie Sambora just plea bargained his DUI case. He pled no contest to driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher. The driving under the influence charge was dismissed. And, prosecutors did NOT file child endangerment charges.
Sambora was popped for DUI last month. His 10-year-old daughter Ava was in the car at the time. We're told Sambora had a .13 blood alcohol level. Although the brass at the Laguna Beach Police Dept. recommended that prosecutors file child endangerment charges, we're told the rank and file cops felt the evidence didn't support the charge. Prosecutors agreed.
It's an interesting behind-the-scenes plea. Sambora got one of the most effective criminal defense lawyers in America on his side -- Blair Berk, who has repped scores of celebs, from Mel Gibson to Lindsay Lohan. The stars aligned in his favor, because prosecutor Dennis Conway is considered pretty fair and therefore didn't file child endangerment to get some PR. And Judge Craig Robison didn't do the whole "I'm so frickin' tough with celebrities" act.
Sambora will pay a $390 fine plus penalties -- total damage is around $1,600. He'll be placed on three years informal probation and must attend an alcohol education course. He cannot drink or do drugs during his probation.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Richie Sambora
Posted Apr 22nd 2008 1:10PM by TMZ Staff
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Richie Sambora has been charged with two counts of DUI -- but he was not charged with child endangerment.
The DUI counts are driving with a .08 or higher, and driving under the influence.
We're told Sambora had a blood alcohol level of .13. If convicted Sambora faces six months in jail.
Sambora was popped March 25 after cops say they saw him "veering over the white painted lines and straddling two lanes" in his Hummer in Laguna Beach.
Two minors were in the vehicle, including Richie's 10-year-old daughter. We're told police brass recommended that prosecutors charge him with child endangerment but rank and file cops disagreed and so did prosecutors.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Richie Sambora
Posted Apr 14th 2008 6:40PM by TMZ Staff
Law enforcement sources tell us there's a dogfight inside the Laguna Beach PD, where the brass has recommended that prosecutors file child endangerment charges against Sambora for his DUI bust March 26. We're told "a significant number of officers" inside the department feel there's no evidence of child endangerment. There was no smell of alcohol on his breath, and no evidence of dangerous or erratic driving.
Sambora's 10-year-old daughter Ava, along with Ava's 17-year-old cousin and Richie's GF, were also in the car when he was popped. Looks like Richie's blood alcohol level was over the legal limit. But that's not the end of the story.
Click here... it's not over yet
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Richie Sambora
Posted Mar 29th 2008 10:46AM by Bill Ferrante
Richie Sambora may dodge a bullet in his DUI bust earlier this week, and not because of legal footwork -- because he may not have been DUI.
Sambora volunteered to submit to a blood alcohol test after he was popped in Laguna Beach. It may take a week before we know the results. But several sources -- who know what the alleged drunk drank -- tell TMZ Richie simply didn't drink much at all before the cops stopped him, and the blood test may register below the .08 legal limit in Calif.
True enough, if he was driving erratically and had any alcohol in him, he could still theoretically be charged with DUI. But that may not be in the cards either.
There's a buzz that Heather may go into court to wrestle away some of Richie's custody of their kid, Ava. Our sources say, ain't gonna happen. Part of the reason -- Heather has her own issues. But the biggest reason is that we're told Richie may be the best dad in rock & roll -- he has flown from gigs in Japan to see Ava play softball.
And you thought TMZ only took shots. Apology accepted.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Richie Sambora
Posted Mar 26th 2008 5:00PM by TMZ Staff
Richie Sambora could be criminally charged with child endangerment.
Richie Sambora was busted for DUI with his 10-year-old daughter Ava in the car, along with another juvenile and another adult -- a woman. If Sambora was driving drunk, he could be charged with endangering the two kids.
Police sources tell us Sambora has not been charged with endangerment but the Laguna Beach P.D. is "actively investigating."
And, police sources say, after Sambora was busted, the cops called Heather Locklear, Ava's mom. We're told Heather authorized the woman in the car to drive her daughter home.
Filed under: Richie Sambora
Posted Mar 26th 2008 3:08PM by TMZ Staff
A police source tells TMZ that Richie Sambora's 10-year-old daughter, Ava, was in the car with him when he was busted for DUI Tuesday night.
Ava's mom is Heather Locklear.
Sambora was pulled over at 11:00 PM last night. Cops say they observed him driving erratically in a black Hummer and pulled him over. He failed numerous field sobriety tests and was detained for DUI.
Filed under: Richie Sambora
Tags: richie sambora, RichieSambora
