Beth Ditto Busted For Disorderly Conduct in Portland, Ore.

Jason St. Amand READ TIME: 2 MIN.

Beth Ditto, the lead singer of the pop punk band the Gossip, was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct early Saturday morning after a drunken incident took place outside a bar in Portland, Ore., the New York Daily News reports.

Ditto, born Mary Beth Patterson, allegedly started a disturbance outside the Bungalo Bar in Portland, Ore., after bartenders cut her off from drinks. A witness took to Reddit to write about the incident and said, "I had no idea who this girl was before I went out tonight. By 1:30 Beth was completely blackout drunk challenging people to fights."

The witness said Ditto started the ruckus after she was kicked her out of the club and according to the Willamette Week (Portland), a source told the newspaper that the indie rocker went in the middle of the street, "threw of her shoes and purse and screamed 'OBAMA! OBAMA!' as friends arrived to try to put her in a car."

The singer has also been accused of kicking a bartender in the groin.

When the police arrived they arrested Ditto, 32, but the singer was later released. The Daily News notes that the singer could face up to six months in jail and a $2,500 fine if she is convicted and charged. A court date is pending.

Ditto, a lesbian, has been outspoken in her support for LGBT rights and feminist causes. The Gossip has released five albums and Ditto herself put out an EP in 2011. The rocker also rose to fame when she was taken in by the fashion world and hobnobbed with the likes of Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue. Ditto gained additional notoriety for appearing (practically nude) on numerous fashion magazine covers and has worked with high fashion designers, including Jean Paul Gaultier.

Watch the music video for the Gossip's "Move in the Right Direction" below:


by Jason St. Amand , National News Editor

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