Fred Willard, the 'Anchorman' star who was arrested for a "lewd act" at a Hollywood adult cinema, says the whole thing was a misunderstanding. The 72-year-old was reportedly sacked from his work on a television show following the embarrassing arrest on Thursday (July 19, 2012), where he was alleged to have exposed his penis.
According to the Press Association, uniformed vice officers were performing a routine sweep of the building shortly before 9pm local time, catching Willard engaging in the act. The actor was booked at the Hollywood police station on suspicion of committing a lewd act in public, before being released around midnight without posting bail. By Thursday evening, he had lost his job narrating Market Warriors, a television show produced by Boston public television station Wgbh. In a video posted on celebrity website Tmz.com, Willard said the arrest was a misunderstanding and denied any wrongdoing. His lawyer Paul Takakijian said he was still gathering information and declined to comment further. ABC plans to continue broadcasting its series 'Trust Us With Your Shoot', which is hosted by Willard, and has four shows yet to air.
The actor has had a relatively successful career in film and television, scoring four Emmy nominations for his roles in the likes of 'Modern Family' and 'Everybody Loves Raymond'. He also played the businessman Shelby Forthright in Pixar's 2008 smash 'WALL-E'.