Melissa Rycroft, the former Bachelor contestant and Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, was arrested in Tarrant County, Texas, on Sunday, November 1, on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, according to legal documents obtained by Us Weekly. The arrest comes just two months after she pleaded guilty to a prior DWI charge.
Rycroft, 43, was booked into the Tarrant County Corrections Centre on three charges issued earlier that day: driving while intoxicated, driving with an invalid license, and collision involving damage to a vehicle under $200. Bond for all three charges totaled $9,000. TMZ was first to report the news.
A mugshot released following the arrest showed Rycroft wearing a black shirt, with her hair disheveled.
The new arrest follows Rycroft's August 12 sentencing on a 2025 DWI charge. According to Us Weekly, she signed a plea deal on August 10 and was sentenced six days later. Under the agreement, Rycroft received 20 months of probation in lieu of 280 days in jail and was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine.
The judge also required Rycroft to perform 36 hours of community service within 120 days and to complete a DWI education program. She was prohibited from driving without a "camera equipped ignition interlock device," according to Us Weekly.
As part of the plea, the former reality TV star consented to substance abuse screening, which included paying for "non-dilute urine samples for testing for controlled substances and cannabis as directed by the court." She also agreed to abstain "from illegal use, possession, or sale of controlled substances, marijuana or cannabinoids" and to not "consume or possess any alcoholic beverages."
The agreement further required Rycroft to check in monthly with Texas' Community Supervision and Corrections Department (CSCD), permit a supervision officer to visit her home or any other location "at any time," and provide proof of employment.
Rycroft rose to fame on season 13 of The Bachelor. She has been married to Tye Strickland since December 2009, and the couple shares three children. She regularly shares family updates on Instagram, including a photo of her kids on August 11 celebrating the return to school.
"Back to school!!! Can't believe this was my last time to drive Ava to her first day of school," she wrote at the time.
Just one week before her latest arrest, Rycroft shared moments from a Studio 54-themed party. "Studio 54. Back open, and everyone understood the assignment…..!!! Great night with the best friends!!!!" she wrote on Sunday, October 26.
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Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a pop culture junkie and loves to share what's happening in Hollywood and what trends are taking the world by storm.
