The dust (and glitter) is yet to settle outside the courthouse after her latest visit there, but Lindsay Lohan is already making plans for after she has served her sentence — plans that include Dubai.
After pleading no contest in an LA court on Monday to reckless driving and lying to police who were investigating the accident involving the actress in June along the Pacific Coast Highway, Lohan avoided jail but was sentenced to 90 days in a locked rehab facility, 30 days of community labour, 18 months of psychotherapy and fines and restitution to the victim. A charge of obstructing an officer was dropped. But according to E! News, after her latest rehab stint, she might be heading our way.
Plans for her to visit the UAE had been rumoured since she tweeted about it earlier this year. “Chatting with @sheerazhasan about Dubai looks like I might be making a trip soon,” Lohan tweeted in February.
“I am meeting with her [Lohan] to organise trips to Brazil and Dubai for business opportunities,” Sheeraz Hassan, the owner of Millions of Milkshakes and the one responsible for bringing reality TV star Kim Kardashian to Dubai, told E! News on Monday. “She will meet with ruling families and make endorsements and appearances. She already has offers from retail outlets.”
“I’m always looking out for her best interest to bring her opportunities for financial freedom,” he added.
Lohan has struggled for years with legal problems and been briefly jailed five times.
In court, Lohan spoke little to Superior Court Judge James R. Dabney and said “yes” when asked if she accepted the plea deal. Before the Mean Girls actress left the courtroom, Dabney offered her a suggestion.
“Don’t drive,” he said.
Dabney did not set a date for Lohan to begin rehab. Instead he set another hearing for May 2, when the court must be given proof of enrolment in a treatment programme.
Lohan entered Monday’s hearing with a lawyer whose competence has been questioned by a judge. At one point during the proceedings, she told an incessant Mark Heller not to “say anything else”.
Lohan’s longtime advocate, Shawn Holley, left the case earlier this year after keeping the actress out of jail for significant periods of time.
Close friends
Hassan and his wife met the actress five years ago and have gone on to become close friends.
With a reputation for tardiness for court appearances and on occasion even missing court dates, it comes as no surprise that Lohan missed her flight on Sunday night from New York to Los Angeles.
Hassan, who was described by E! News as representing energy drink company Mr Pink in the Middle East and India, was on hand to save the day. He organised a private plane to fly her, but in true LiLo fashion, she was still an hour late.
“We arranged the private jet late last night. I guess there were problems with her commercial plane, so Mr Pink agreed to fly her private so she doesn’t miss her hearing this morning. She was obviously concerned about missing it and very thankful we made the accommodation for her last minute. Lindsay has a great and trusted relationship with Mr Pink and Sheeraz Hasan and no matter how bad things get for Lindsay, she can always count on Mr Pink to help her out,” E! News quoted Rudy Dekermenjian, managing director of energy drink maker Mr Pink, as saying.
After several run-ins with the law, the actress has yet again managed to avoid serving time in jail and is being given an opportunity to reform her meandering ways.
By Yusra Farzan
