We’ve all felt it – that surge of guilt when you’ve dressed up in a wig and a sexy dress and offered to perform a lewd sex act on a man for cash, only to realise that he was an undercover policeman.

Lee Tamahori certainly knows that feeling – last month he was arrested for prostitution after putting on a lovely frock and offering to suck off a cop in return for a handful of sweaty coins in Hollywood. But Tamahori has escaped being charged with prostitution in a plea bargain. He also escaped the more severe charge of making that kite-surfing scene in Die Another Day look really shoddy.

Up until a few weeks ago, Lee Tamahori (DVDs) was nothing more than a
journeyman movie director. He’d made forgettable films (Mulholland
Falls), mediocre franchise films (Die Another Day) and blindingly awful
sequels (xXx: State Of The Union).

All that changed in January, though,
when Lee Tamahori was arrested for prostitution after apparently approaching a man and offering to perform oral sex on him for cash. Little did Tamahori know that the man was an undercover police officer on a sting operation. Now he’s mainly known
as that weird guy who wanted to chow down on a policeman’s truncheon
for cash rather that the man who’s about to make a dodgy film about ESP with Halle Berry.

However, Lee Tamahori has escaped the prostitution charge – and the
possibility of a jail sentence – after pleading no contest for the
lesser offence of criminal trespass yesterday. In return, a judge gave Tamahori
three years’ probation, 15 days of community service with the
Hollywood Beautification Project (make your own jokes up here), an
order to attend an AIDS education course and a $390 fine.

What a drag, eh? Get it? Drag – because he dressed up as a woman? Anyone? No?

Read more:

Filmmaker Tamahori placed on probation in sex case – Reuters

[story by Stuart Heritage]