Fred Willard Completes Diversion Program, Won’t Go To Jail For Lewd Conduct Arrest

Fred Willard wont be seeing jail time for his arrest in July after being caught “engaging in a lewd act” in an adult movie theater in Hollywood.

The actor competed a diversion program for minor sexual offenses, allowing him to stay out of jail, the Los Angeles Times reported. The 72-year-old Fred Willard was caught at the Tiki Theater on Santa Monica Boulevard in July when LAPD officers assigned to crack down on sex crimes caught him in a lewd act. Police did not elaborate on the act itself.

Later, more details of the arrest emerged. From UPI:

“Los Angeles Police Department undercover vice officers on a routine walk-through in July arrested Willard at the Tiki Theater after finding him watching a pornographic movie with his penis exposed and in his hand.”

Though the incident cost Fred Willard a job with PBS as narrator of the Market Warriors program, the actor kept his sense of humor about the incident. It July he talked about it on an appearance on NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.

“It’s the last time I’m going to listen to my wife when she says, ‘Why don’t you go out and see a movie?’ ” Fred Willard joked on the late-night talk show.

He added that he didn’t even know adult theaters existed.

“I see this one, it had such a Polynesian exotic look to it. I say maybe there’s hula dancers in here. Maybe there’s mai tais. I went in and I realized I was the only one awake and sober and conscious.”

He also defended his actions.

“It’s very embarrassing,” Fred Willard told Fallon. “It’s embarrassing as hell, but let me say this: Nothing happened. I did nothing wrong.”