Bond director charged in gay prostitution crackdown
The James Bond director accused of offering sex to an undercover policeman has been sentenced to 15 days community service.
Lee Tamahori, 55, who directed Die Another Day, was arrested for allegedly offering oral sex whilst dressing as a woman, according to officials in America. An LA police officer said he was approached by Mr Tamahori who offered to “orally copulate him for money.”
LAPD spokesman, Frank Mateljan said: “”The defendant was loitering on the sidewalk in drag and then approached an undercover officer in his car.”
He was arrested as part of a Hollywood gay prostitution crackdown.
The filmmaker was offered a plea deal in which he didn’t have to answer more serious charges against him that could have led to six months in prison. He pleaded no contest to criminal trespass, for getting into the officer’s car, in exchange for which the more serious prostitution charges were dropped.
Mr Tamahori was also placed on three years probation and ordered to attend an Aids education course.
Meanwhile, former Bond star Pierce Brosnan has decided to cut bisexual scenes from his new movie The Matador.
Mr Brosnan is reported to have almost backed out of the role altogether after suffering a confidence crisis. He and his wife Keely Shaye Smith were both concerned about too many overtly gay scenes in the original script before the actor made some changes.
He said: “I don’t regret it, not at all – even with Brokeback’s success, the original problem was the director (Richard Shepard) threw everything at it – including the kitchen sink. It was too much. It came on full tilt.”
“I felt it took away from the ambiguity of his sexuality, I just got it toned down.”
