BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Pop star George Michael, the British-born heartthrob whose hit songs include the too-hot-for-radio “I Want Your Sex,” was arrested on suspicion of committing a lewd act in a park restroom.
The 34-year-old singer was alone in a restroom in Will Rogers Park when an undercover officer saw him commit the act Tuesday, police Lt. Edward Kreins said. Kreins would not identify the act and said only that Michael did not proposition the officer.
The park, on Sunset Boulevard across from the Beverly Hills Hotel, has a reputation as a homosexual cruising ground.
Michael was handcuffed, taken to the police station and booked for investigation of misdemeanor lewd conduct. He was released on $500 bail.
Michael’s manager in London, Andy Stevens, did not immediately return a call Wednesday. His publicity agency had no comment.
Michael was one of Princess Diana’s favorite singers and attended her funeral in September. He and Andrew Ridgeley shot to stardom in the 1980s as the duo Wham! Their hits included “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.”
After the duo split up in 1986, Michael went solo. His debut solo album, “Faith,” sold more than 10 million copies. A 1987 single, “I Want Your Sex,” topped the charts even though many U.S. radio stations refused to air it.
The arresting officers did not immediately recognize Michael, who initially gave his real name, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, and only later identified himself as singer George Michael, Kreins said.
Kreins said complaints of lewd conduct at the park prompted a police crackdown. On the day of Michael’s arrest, another man was arrested for investigation of lewd conduct at the same restroom, the lieutenant said.