Joe Bonamassa

Friday, April 1, 2011

EXCLUSIVE: Has troubled Lindsay Lohan fallen spectacularly off the wagon?

By DONNA MCCONNELL

Down and out in New York: Lindsay Lohan exhibited some bizarre behaviour as she sat in the street smoking after leaving bar with friends

Sitting in a grimy street, head face-first on the pavement, troubled star Lindsay Lohan appears to be down and out as she leaves a New York bar.

Looking decidedly the worse for wear, Lohan - who as part of her probation is not allowed to drink alcohol - appeared to have spent the best part of the evening hanging out with friends in The Cabin Down Below bar soon after arriving in New York by private jet.

After emerging, she is seen stooping on the floor, groping for support, and struggling to stay atop her high platform heels.

A new Lo: Lindsay hits the floor with her face

Dressed in a very short black dress, leopard print coat, the Machete star kneels on the floor, cigarette in hand, laughing uncontrollably and inadvertently exposed her underwear.

The 24-year-old stumbles to her feet while her laughing friends - including Samantha Swetra who was recently involved in a fight with Boardwalk Empire actress Paz de la Huerta - show little concern.

Finally one of them goes to her aid.

Lohan attempted to play down the scenes this morning tweeting: 'Is it not allowed to slip and fall? im always a klutz!!!'

Party time in the Big Apple: Lindsay arrived in New York last night by private jet and was soon seen out with friends on the Lower East side of Manhattanv

A source told the New York Daily News that Lohan had checked into a Times Square hotel instead of going as planned to her family's Long Island home.

Later that night, she was seen bar-hopping with Swetra starting at the Rose Bar in the Gramercy Park Hotel before continuing to The Cabin Down Below in the East Village, an ultra-exclusive bar disguised as a dive.

Lohan arrived in New York as it emerged she is planning to leave Los Angeles and set up home in the city.

Questions to answer: Lindsay will have some explaining to do to her probation officer as she appears very high-spirited in these pictures taken last night

According to her mother Dina Lohan the troubled actress is 'actively looking' for an apartment to rent.

Lindsay has been seen more and more in the city in recent weeks, flying in on a private jet a few days ago, supposedly join her family for a vacation on Long Island.

'She will be in New York a lot more going forward. She's actively looking for places in the city with her younger brother Michael,' Dina said.

'She loves it here. And she has a lot of friends who already have places, so she might sublet.'

And Lohan wasted no time in meeting up with some of those friends in a bar on the Lower East Side of the city.

Helping hand: Lindsay's friends seemed unconcerned by her wobbly state, and offered her hand to get to her feet

Moving on: Lindsay's decision to move to New York may have been sparked by ex-girlfriend Samantha Ronson's new relationship

The troubling scenes will do little to impress her probation office who may have some hard questions to ask of the embattled starlet who is facing trial over the alleged theft of a $2,500 necklace she has been accused of stealing from a high-end store in Venice, California.

The Mean Girls star has already fallen foul of her probation officer as it emerged that she regularly consumes Kombucha tea, which has an alcohol content of 0.5 per cent or less.

Now the Los Angeles County Probation Department have added it to a list of reasons why the judge should violate her probation when she appears in court next week.

While there is no proof that she had been drinking, these exclusive pictures which will know doubt be added to the list of queries that need thorough explanation.

After her late night Lohan confined her activities to a spot of shopping today, looking at jewellery in New York.

The actress picked out a few pieces and made sure to pay for them before heading back to her hotel.

Lohan's decision to move to New York may well have been sparked by her ex-girlfriend Samantha Ronson, who this week went public with her new relationship.

And maybe she hoped she would gain a little freedom from the restrictions of her probation terms.

The actress moved into a beach home next door to Ronson's in Venice Beach after her release from rehab earlier this year.

While Lohan claimed the move was just a coincidence, it was widely interpreted as a sign that she hoped for a reconciliation with her former partner.

This week saw Lohan reject a plea deal. Judge Keith Schwartz was said to have offered the actress 60-90 days in jail she pleaded guilty in her grand theft case.

But Lohan was understood to be resistant to accepting the terms and is now taking her chances at trial.

However, if she decides to go to trial, she is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 2.

The jewellery store in question is now charging online customers $2.99 to watch CCTV footage showing the actress allegedly stealing the necklace.

It comes after segments of the footage were aired on Entertainment Tonight last month after it struck a deal with The Associated Press, who obtained the rights to the video footage.

But there is some good news for Lohan after prosecutors dropped a battery case against her in connection with a fight with a rehab worker last year after prosecutors determined there was insufficient evidence to pursue a battery case against the actress.