Can we stand one more story about a celebrity meltdown? Actor Nicolas Cage was arrested Saturday in New Orleans on charges of public drunkenness, domestic violence, and disturbing the peace. (Is making bad movies a bailable offense?) Apparently the bad boy star of both memorable films ( Leaving Las Vegas, Adaptation) and box office bombs ( 8mm, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin) was taken into police custody after grabbing his wife’s arm and insisting that they were renting the address in front of them (they weren’t) trying to pull her inside. When police arrived on the scene, an obviously inebriated Cage dared the cops to arrest him ( how can that not end badly?). The local law was willing to let it go, telling Cage to go home, when he repeated his dare, and the cops willingly obliged.

Bail was set at $11,000 for the man also known as Charlie Sheen’s best friend ( that’s a character reference?) which was posted by none other than reality TV show star Duane ‘Dog’ Chapman, well known bail bondsman, and no stranger to legal problems himself. Within 8 hours, Cage was released.

‘Dog” was quoted as saying he was a dedicated fan of Mr. Cage, and refused to grant any interviews about his client. He claimed to just be doing his duties as a bail bondsman, and it had nothing to do with his show, he was merely ‘making a living.’  He explained that there were two sides to his job: releasing clients after they have been arrested, and picking them up if they don’t appear in court. He did not believe that the latter would be the case with Nicolas Cage.

Following Cage’s bail-out, “Dog’s” wife Beth posted a message on her Twitter account stating that her client was released after 8 hours from the New Orleans jail, stating that she felt it was a long time. Typically, 8 hours is NOT a long time to be released on bail, there are county jails in California where 12 to 24 hours are the norm.