Rob Van Winkle Arrested

Temper, Temper

When Rob was part of the cast of The Surreal Life during season two and The Surreal Life Fame Games, his temper was evident. In later interviews, he claimed his tantrums like screaming at Tracy Bingham or having a fit a two year old would be proud of when his celebrity status was rated lower than other cast members, was all just for show. Van Winkle claimed that producers had asked him to "spice things up" to create more drama.

The Arrest

Police were called to the Van Winkle residence in the early evening hours, hailed there by his wife Laura. Mrs. Van Winkle claimed that her husband was hitting and kicking her.

When police arrived, Rob was gone and the Mrs., according to the police report, appeared "uninjured." She then changed her story, claiming that Rob had pushed her and hadn't kicked or hit her as she originally reported. Police then caught up with Rob a few blocks away on his motorcycle, claiming that he never touched her and left the house to get away from his "bipolar" wife and not to evade the police. Police arrested him without incident.

A History of Violence

This isn't Van Winkle's first arrest and more alarmingly, not his first domestic violence arrest. Police took him into custody in 2001 and 2004 for allegedly becoming physically violent with his wife during intense arguments.