Nick Lachey has been ordered to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings — along with anger management classes — one year after being charged with assault and battery against a member of the paparazzi.
The incident in question took place in March 2022 after Lachey allegedly attacked photographer Jody Santos.
The aforementioned punishments are in place for one year.
Going back just over a year, footage from last March features Lachey walking over to Santos’ car… attempting to grab her phone … and cursing at her after realizing she was taking photos of him and his wife, Vanessa Lachey.
The Daily Mail reported at the time that he was charged with assault and battery.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Los Angeles District attorney explained:
“Mr. Lachey has not been charged with misdemeanor assault and battery. Instead he is participating in LADA’s Prefiling Diversion program which was established in 2017.
“As part of these conditions he must participate in anger management classes and attend Alcoholic Anonymous meetings. Successful completion of the Prefiling Diversion Program will result in no criminal charges being filed.”
Said Santos today:
“In all my years of photographing celebrities, no one has ever tried to hit me.
“I am just relieved that I rolled up my window as fast as I did, otherwise he would have knocked me out. No doubt about it…
“I have taken photos of him plenty of times and never had a problem, but this time was different.”
Santos also claimed last year that Lachey called her a “psy mother fker,” shoved his arm through my car window, and tried to grab my cell phone,” adding that she “could smell alcohol on his breath for sure.”
“What he did was wrong,” she added.
“Attempting to bust his fist through my car window when all I was doing was taking photographs of him. He should have been thanking me for the free publicity.
“I mean, really. Talk about an oversized ego.”
Santos further alleged that she “heard Vanessa say, ‘Go get ’em, open the door,’ and then he started walking towards my car all aggressive.”
After rolling up her car window, the photographer said that Nick punched the glass so hard “I thought he was going to break his hand.”
She emphasized: I am surprised he didn’t shatter the window.”
For his part, Lachey Tweeted about the incident one day after it happened.
“Last night, after enjoying a great dinner with my wife and our dear friend, the paparazzi harassed us as we walked back to our hotel,” he wrote on March 27, 2022.
“I clearly overreacted. I’ve been in this game long enough to know that their antics are sadly part of the deal. Stupid of me. Done.”