Bench warrant issued for Artie Lange after comedian misses hearing in drug case
Lange said on social media that the missed court date was a result of "bad communication."
A New Jersey court has reportedly issued a bench warrant for comedian Artie Lange after he missed a recent court date in connection with a drug possession arrest earlier this year.
According to the Hudson Reporter, a representative of the Hoboken Municipal Court's office confirmed Wednesday that a bench warrant was issued for Lange, 49, due to the comedian missing a June 7 court hearing. Lange, a former Howard Stern Show regular, was arrested in March in his Hoboken, New Jersey condo's parking garage for alleged possession of heroin, cocaine, and paraphernalia. The charges were later reduced to disorderly persons offenses.
Lange addressed the situation on social media Wednesday night, writing in a tweet pointed at Hoboken Police that the missed court date was a result of "bad communication" with his lawyer, and that he means "no trouble":
In a followup tweet, Lange said he "never tried to avoid this," and that he does not "want ppl [sic] stressed out." He also indicated he would see the police "soon":
The bench warrant that has reportedly been issued for Lange gives police the ability to arrest Lange if they "have an encounter with him" during their regular duties, a Hoboken Police Department representative told the Hudson Reporter. Police, however, are not "actively looking" for the comedian.
Lange, a Union, New Jersey native, has long struggled with drug addiction, which contributed to a 2010 suicide attempt (his second, following an initial attempt in 1995) in which the comedian stabbed himself nine times. The comedian attended a rehab program in 2011, and later released the memoir Crash and Burn in 2013, which detailed his experiences with addiction, suicide, and recovery. His popular Artie Quitter Podcast launched in 2015.
Most recently, Lange appeared in HBO's Crashing alongside fellow comedian Pete Holmes. Following his arrest in March, Lange claimed he had been fired from the show, which HBO denied in a statement, writing that season two of the show had "not yet been written" at the time. Holmes, meanwhile, told the New York Times he would "absolutely" have Lange back on the show in future seasons.
Locally, Lange last played the area this past weekend at the Borgata in Atlantic City. His next scheduled area performance is Sept. 16 at the Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono.