A forthcoming Dukes of Hazzard reunion has been shelved as both of the stars of the show face legal trouble.
John Schneider, who played Bo Duke on the classic show, is at risk of going to jail for three months because his ex-wife Elvira claims that he owes her nearly $185,000 in back spousal support and legal fees, according to court documents obtained by the Blast. The actor was found in contempt for repeated non-payment on Dec. 20, with sentencing set for February.
Schneider claims he has been “willing, but unable” to pay what he owes due to a series of financial misfortunes and the unpredictable income an actor earns. He places part of the blame on his ex-wife for what he claims was out of control spending during their marriage, adding that he lost the income he would have earned from a planned tour of personal appearances with Tom Wopat, who played his brother Luke on The Dukes of Hazzard. Schneider says that tour, along with a planned Dukes of Hazzard reunion that was to have aired on the Hallmark Channel, were both scrapped after Wopat was arrested for indecent assault in August of 2017.
Country Singers’ Mug Shots
Wopat was arrested in Massachusetts, where he was rehearsing for a production of 42nd Street, after a female cast member reported that he grabbed her by the buttocks. Wopat was charged with indecent assault and battery and drug possession after police also found two bags believed to be cocaine in his front pocket and car.
Wopat was arrested again in September and charged with indecent assault and battery on a person over 14 and two counts of accosting and annoying a person of the opposite sex. Those charges stem from a second reported incident while rehearsing for the same play, this time involving a 16-year-old girl in the cast, according to USA Today. The actor left the production, stating that he would take some time to address his “ongoing struggle with substance abuse.” He has denied the allegations against him.
In addition to their time on The Dukes of Hazzard, both Wopat and Schneider have had careers in country music. Wopat has released several albums in multiple genres, and he also hosted a country music talk show, Prime Time Country, in 1996. Schneider scored a string of country hits in the ’80s, including “I’ve Been Around Enough to Know,” “Country Girls” and “What’s a Memory Like You (Doing in a Love Like This).”
This Article Was Originally Posted at www.TasteofCountry.com
http://tasteofcountry.com/dukes-of-hazzard-reunion-john-schneider-tom-wopat-legal-trouble/
