After Bruce Springsteen’s impactful, 2-minute Jeep commercial from the big game Sunday, the last thing anyone expected to hear about the Boss were DUI charges. But, the news broke Wednesday that this is exactly what happened.
Arrested at a national park
As first reported on Wednesday and confirmed by the National Park Service, Mr. Springsteen indeed was arrested in a New Jersey national park. The arrested occurred on Nov. 14 at the Gateway National Recreation Area on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol, but he also faces charges for reckless driving and consuming alcohol in a closed area. Though, the details of the incident have not been revealed.
Shock to fans
The 71-year-old rock legend is well-known for his healthy lifestyle, so being arrested on charges related to drinking where a shock to his fans. Indeed, in his 2016 autobiography, Mr. Springsteen admitted that he had not even tried alcohol until he was 22 and largely avoided alcohol due to how drinking affected his father. Mr. Springsteen’s E Street Band guitarist, Steven Van Zandt, even described him as rarely drinking, always eating right, and constantly in the gym.
Immediate consequences
Other than dealing with his brief incarceration, after news broke of the DUI arrest, his Jeep ad campaign was paused, and the commercials he stared in have already been pulled. Eventually, or immediately, this could mean the loss of any ongoing revenue Jeep was to pay Mr. Springsteen, and depending on their contract, it could also mean that he may owe Jeep money if the campaign does not continue.
It can happen to anyone
For Grand Rapids, Michigan residents and those in the surrounding area, the Boss’s plight shows that any of us can get caught up in DUI charges. Even when camping with our friends, we can find ourselves on the wrong side of the law, but drunk driving charges do not mean one’s life is over. They simply mean that one needs to call an attorney.
