Nick Lachey Avoids Jail Time But Must Attend AA, Anger Management In Assault Case [REPORT]

Nick Lachey will have to attend Alcoholics Anonymous and anger management classes if he wants to avoid going to jail.

"Mr. Lachey has not been charged with misdemeanor assault and battery. Instead, he is participating in LADA's Prefiling Diversion program, which was established in 2017. As part of these conditions he must participate in anger management classes and attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings," read a statement released by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

"Successful completion of the Prefiling Diversion Program will result in no criminal charges being filed."

Assault Case

This issue stems back to March 2022; the artist was involved in an incident that involved the paparazzi.

Paper magazine reports that the 49-year-old was leaving a restaurant with his wife Vanessa Lachey in Beverly Hills when he noticed a photographer filming them.

The photographer, Jody Santos, recalled that Lachey approached her and began punching her car window.

She explained how she had "taken photos of him plenty of times and never had a problem, but this time was different."

She retreated into the safety of her car, "immediately locked [her] door and rolled up [her] window as fast as [she] could," but it did not stop the 98 Degrees alum from assaulting her.

"He then [starts] punching the window. I thought he was going to break his hand, that's how hard he was hitting the glass," she said. "I am surprised he didn't shatter the window."

Justified?

Santos also disclosed that Lachey has not taken accountability for his actions nor did he ever reach out to her to apologize.

'Until this day, Nick hasn't taken any responsibility. He's justified it. He thought this was done, but it's not done," she told the Daily Mail UK.

"A personal apology was declined, then a written apology was declined. No one from his team has reached out and asked, ''Are you ok?'"

The artist's actions and lack of remorse led Santos to take legal action against him.

Lachey was hit with assault and battery charges under the California Penal Code 242.

"In all my years of photographing celebrities, no one has ever tried to hit me."

"I am just relieved that I rolled up my window as fast as I did, otherwise he would have knocked me out," she added. "No doubt about it."

As of this writing, Lachey has not spoken about the incident, and his wife also failed to give a comment.

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