Judge Orders ‘Django’ Actress to Community Service After Rejecting ‘Insincere’ Apology

Photo by Daniele Watts

A judge has ordered embattled ‘Django’ actress Daniele Watts and her chef boyfriend Brian James Lucas to 15 days of community labor and two years of probation after finding both letters of apology she was ordered to write to LAPD Sgt. Jim Parker “insincere and passive aggressive.”

Watts had falsely accused Sgt. Parker of being racist when he briefly detained her for noncompliance after complaints alleging she and her boyfriend were having sex in public in September of last year.

“Hopefully you can forgive the fact that my heightened emotions disturbed what might have otherwise been a carefree stop on your way to a nice cup of coffee,” Watts had written in the first letter dated August 6, according to a copy of the letter obtained by the Los Angeles Times. She was reportedly told to try again.

Sgt. Parker reportedly agreed that the letters were insufficient, having responded that it “was not an apology at all. It was an excuse letter.”

A second letter, issued on August 26, was also deemed insufficient. In it, Watts apologized for her lack of emotional control and  “race and gender-related feelings of inferiority” causing her to feel “marginalized.”

I see more clearly now that no matter how much we attempt to fight against this perceived injustice, the most clear solution for us to move forward presently is to surrender to a broader sense of appreciation. We appreciate your attempt to carry out your duties for the cities for whom you are employed.

Watts and Lucas were charged with committing lewd acts, although those charges were later dropped as part of a “no contest” plea deal to disturbing the peace along with the inadequate letters of apology.

During her brief detention on September 11, Watts had suggested that Sgt. Parker’s investigation into her “lewd act” had been racially motivated. The entire dialogue was obtained by TMZ. In it, Watts could be heard telling Sgt. Parker, “Just because we’re black and he’s white? I’m just being really honest, sir.”

Parker responded: “Who brought up the race card?” to which Watts replied, “I’m bringing it up.”

Sgt. Parker then told Watts: “Thank you for bringing up the race card. I never heard that.” At one point Watts could apparently be heard saying, “I bet you you’re a little bit racist.”

Just days after news of the race flap hit headlines, several well-known black civil rights activists and personalities came out against Watts, demanding she issue an apology for incorrectly invoking the race card and saying she “cried wolf.”

“It’s like crying wolf. And crying wolf. After a while it has no meaning,” Dr. Earl Ofari Hutchinston had said.

Radio show host Larry Elder agreed:

Follow Adelle Nazarian on Twitter @AdelleNaz and on Facebook.

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