A woman who appears to have been the unnamed person who filed a battery complaint with the Sheriff’s Department in Riverside County against Lindsay Lohan over an incident that occurred nine days ago, has spoken out about the alleged altercation – and was fired from the Betty Ford Center as a result of talking publicly about it.
Dawn Holland, the alleged victim, identified by TMZ on Tuesday afternoon, claimed to the website that Lohan came home to the Betty Ford Center-run house she has been living in after a night out with two roommates, after curfew. Holland, who claimed to TMZ she was asked to administer Breathalyzer tests on the women, said things got heated when Lohan refused to submit to the test.
“She was very angry and out of control,” Holland said in an on-camera interview with TMZ.
Holland claimed to TMZ that the actress called 911 and when she got on the phone to talk to the authorities, Lohan ripped the phone out of her hand, which caused a severe sprain. Holland claimed she is now on worker’s compensation as a result of the incident.
“She kept yelling and cursing and screaming in the background,” Holland claimed to the website regarding Lohan’s behavior as she addressed the 911 operator. “Then she tried to snatch the phone from out of my arm. She grabbed my wrist and snatched it down and twisted my arm and my hand to get the phone out of my arm.”
Not long after TMZ’s story broke, Radar Online reported that Holland claimed to them she was fired after speaking out about the incident.
“Betty Ford Center terminated me and I’m now going full force,” Holland reportedly claimed to Radar.
“[It was] due to breach of patient confidentiality because I did an interview with TMZ,” she added.
Russ Patrick, Spokesperson for the Betty Ford Center, did not name Holland, but confirmed in a statement to Access on Tuesday night that an employee was fired after breaking patient confidentiality by talking to the media.
“In the three decades since our doors opened to patients, the Betty Ford Center and its employees have respected the privacy of all our patients,” Patrick’s statement to Access read. “Regrettably, on December 21, 2010, one of our employees violated patient confidentiality by talking to the media and by disclosing a privileged document. That employee has been terminated by the Betty Ford Center.”
Shawn Chapman Holley, Lohan’s attorney, also issued a statement to Access over the alleged incident with the one-time Betty Ford Center worker, however, she did not confirm Holland was involved in the incident.
“At this time, we are declining to comment on the underlying facts surrounding this incident, as we await the completion of the police investigation. It should be noted, however, that it was Ms. Lohan who called 911 to request police assistance at the time this incident occurred,” Holley’s statement read.
Michael Lohan, Lindsay’s dad, who has spent time with his daughter since she entered court-ordered rehab, was outraged over Tuesday’s reports and claimed Holland was the aggressor in the alleged incident.
“Dawn Holland grabbed Lindsay and Lindsay pushed her away,” he told Access. “The fact that Lindsay took the phone from the tech doesn’t warrant her calling the police, nor does it warrant the tech going on Disability.
“The facilities and their employees are bound to confidentiality. This was and is wrong,” he continued. “Lindsay doesn’t need this or deserve it when she worked so hard and has come too far for this to happen.”
As previously reported on AccessHollywood.com, according to Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Melissa Nieburger, authorities were called to a private residence (related to the Betty Ford Center), where Lohan was staying, after a staff member, who still has not been named by authorities, but is believed to be Holland, at the location claimed that Lohan assaulted her.
“The incident is being investigated as a misdemeanor not committed in the presence of a Peace Officer therefore no one was arrested at the scene,” Nieburger said in a statement to Access. “The investigation is ongoing. Upon completion of the investigation the reports will be forwarded to the Riverside County District Attorney to determine if charges will be filed in the case.”
A copy of the 911 call was not available, as the investigation remains ongoing.
Lohan, who is currently on probation, was ordered to remain in rehab through January 3. A condition of her probation is that she obey all laws.
Steve Cron, a Criminal Defense Attorney in Santa Monica and a Professor at Pepperdine University Law School, told Access on Tuesday night that the alleged incident could mean big trouble for Lohan.
“Lindsay Lohan was told to follow the rules of her probation. Assaulting someone would clearly be a violation of the program,” he explained.
“This could be a new crime,” he continued, noting that authorities would have to finish their investigation before that determination is made by a District Attorney, who would then decide whether to prosecute. “If Lindsay were convicted she would clearly be in trouble.”
A call to Dina Lohan, Lindsay’s mom and manager, by Access was not returned on Tuesday. Access was not able to reach Holland for comment either.
On Wednesday, Keith Davidson, an attorney who had been retained by Holland, issued a statement suggesting that his client received unfair treatment by Betty Ford following the alleged altercation with Lindsay.
“Ms. Holland was immediately targeted, unmercifully interrogated, intimidated and threatened with her livelihood unless she conformed to the immoral and unethical requests of the Clinic. The BFC was exerting every influence they had in attempting to cover-up their own unlawful conduct,” his statement to Access read.
“It’s a shame that during this season of giving, the once esteemed BFC has become the proverbial Grinch by trashing one of their own,” Davidson’s statement continued. “Ms. Holland is a true survivor of the perils that the clinic claims to preach against.”
Access reached out to a rep from the Betty Ford Center about the attorney’s statement on behalf of his client, but the rep said the center had “no comment.”
Copyright © 2024 by NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be republished, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.