Vince Neil Cited For Battery After Las Vegas Incident, Not Arrested

In a bizarre series of events, Mötley Crüe’s front-man Vince Neil once again finds himself in trouble with the law, this time for battery of a woman, according to Rolling Stone. Vince Neil was cited by police for battery following an altercation on Thursday in Las Vegas where the heavy metal singer allegedly assaulted a woman who was trying to get an autograph from actor Nicolas Cage. Las Vegas police personnel confirmed that Neil was under police investigation because the woman told police that Neil came up from behind and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her away from Cage as she sought his autograph. Police were called to the scene, in which Cage allegedly came to the woman’s defense, as reported by the Inquisitr. The police cited Neil for misdemeanor battery but did not arrest him, although the reasons for this were not immediately clear.

The woman who was the subject of the assault was not named and it was not known why Neil took issue with her in the situation that occurred at the Aria Hotel. Nicolas Cage had to intercede forcefully and then later was seen hugging Vince Neil in a friendly way, still attempting to calm him.

Neil is no stranger to trouble with the law. Years ago he was involved in a vehicle accident in which he was cited for DUI. That accident caused the death of another rock musician. If convicted of this battery charge, Neil faces six months in prison as a result of the incident. Similarly, in 2011, the singer was charged with battery and disorderly conduct involving an altercation with an ex-girlfriend at a theater. At that time, the battery charge was dropped and Neil escaped jail time after he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and was fined.

In the footage of the incident, Cage can be heard telling Neil to stop.

“Stop this s**t right now!”

Neither Nicolas Cage’s nor Vince Neil’s spokespeople had given a statement to the media following the citation or what prompted the incident.

Neil, long known for his bad boy act in the 1980s and 1990s, a period when Mötley Crüe was a favorite of young women, has recently been known to have cleaned up his act, saying he is free of alcohol and drugs after a long and painful life that was riddled with addiction and failed relationships. A book written about the debauchery and exotic life of the members of Mötley Crüe caused public awareness of the stresses and trouble involved with the 1980s glam metal scene. While most of the members of Mötley Crüe had developed serious drug problems, most are claiming sobriety now, including Nikki Sixx, the famous guitar player who went on to have his own radio show. At one point, Sixx was declared clinically dead from a drug overdose, but he was revived and other members of the band were helpful in his recovery.

Mötley Crüe last toured with the band Kiss throughout the country, announcing it would be their “farewell tour.” There were no such issues of brawls or disorderly conduct reported at that time, in which all band members seemed to have their behavior under control.

Mötley Crüe experienced massive fame from records like “Girls Girls Girls” and “Dr. Feelgood” in the 1980s. With their bad-boy antics, long hair, heavy makeup, and tight leather clothing, their music anthems frequently focused on drugs, women, and partying. Mötley Crüe continued to have success until the mid-1990s when the “Seattle Sound” and bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam overtook the musical scene. However, Mötley Crüe continues to have die-hard fans of all age groups.

[photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]