14 DAY TRIAL // Former Miss Michigan Rima Fakih, who became the first Arab American to win the title Miss USA, was popped over the weekend on suspicion of DUI. She was arrested, booked and released.
While driving under the influence is not a major crime, Fakih is now getting headlines because she initially tried to lie about it, in the hope that she might cover it up, Radar Online informs.
Word got out in the press that she was detained in Michigan on suspicion of DUI but she immediately took to her Twitter page to deny even being there at the time the alleged arrest took place.
Her rep did the same, issuing denials to all media outlets about how the ex Miss USA (her reign ended in June this year) wasn't involved in any incident of the type at the time the press was saying she was.
The truth eventually came out.
“She was pulled over for speeding at 3:30 am. She was then found to be impaired and taken into custody,” a Highland Park, Michigan police officer says for Radar.
She was booked and, after posting a $150 (€111.8) bond, she was set free. Reports in the press say Fakih's ordeal with the police ended in the early hours of morning, when she was released.
However, she takes the arrest and whatever consequences it may bring as a lesson well learned and, hopefully, she will never get behind the wheel of a car if she's had a drink before.
At least, that's the message her attorney is trying to send to the press.
“Fakih’s lawyer Doraid Elder told The Detroit Free Press his client's record 'has not a single blemish' and she was 'very saddened and very apologetic for the situation that she is in right now',” Radar further writes.
Nevertheless, that doesn't change the fact that Fakih's initial reaction was that of lying, when reports started to emerge that she had been detained for DUI.
“Let’s clear things up now.... I’m NOT in Michigan and I’m NOT in jail! Wrong Fakih,” she wrote on Twitter, while a publicist was saying the same thing to various media outlets.
The tweet was deleted shortly after but, by that time, it was already too late.