Grammy Award-winning gospel singer Le’Andria Johnson, 41, was arrested on December 16 in Greenville, South Carolina, on charges of public intoxication.
According to public records from the Greenville Police Department, Johnson was arrested at about 2:42 p.m. and charged with public intoxication and having an open alcohol container on a public street.
Police reports state that Johnson exhibited multiple signs of intoxication, including an odor of alcohol, unsteady balance, and impaired speech. Officers noted that the styrofoam cup in question contained what appeared to be an alcoholic beverage, described in the report as an amber-colored liquid with a strong alcoholic odor.
“This (alcoholism) is a daily walk”
On Wednesday Dec 18, Johnson issued a public apology to her fans.
“To all of my family, my friends, and my supporters, I just want to say thank you for your continued prayers and love. I do see all of the text messages and all of the phone calls, Johnson said in a video posted to Larry Reid Live on YouTube. “I’m just taking this time now to really just ‘woosah’,” Johnson said. “This (alcoholism) is a daily walk, and this has been a daily walk for me for some time, I’m yet still growing.”
Johnson, renowned for her powerful vocals and candid transparency, has openly discussed her struggles with alcoholism in the past. In 2019, she revealed that her battle with alcohol led to a DUI arrest and a subsequent 30-day jail sentence for probation violation. During a testimony at the New Met Philly Church in Philadelphia, she admitted, “I was in denial. You know how long it took me to first accept that I had a problem?
During that same year, she told “Iyanla Fix My Life,” host Iyanla Vanzant that she had been part of a 30-day rehabilitation program. She also recounted 30 days in jail on driving under the influence charges.