It seems the rapid internet proliferation of a story about Dawn Wells getting picked up in Idaho with weed in her car—along with the most adorable mugshot in celebrity DUI history—wasn't quite as hilarious to its hero. The actress, best known for playing the wholesome-girl-next-door-half of Gilligan's Island's classic sex-object dichotomy (versus the island's far more experienced cougar, Lovey), has now gone directly to Entertainment Tonight to clear up any misconceptions about her nonexistent herb-indulging habits:

"I need to put the kibosh on rumors. It was my birthday and I was coming from a dinner."

"The marijuana found in the car was not mine. The marijuana charge was dismissed and the person whom it belonged to went to jail. There was no DUI charge. I want to make it clear that I was charged with a traffic offense."
The police report states that Wells failed a field sobriety test. Wells insists the test was improperly administered and the officer, who had only been out of school for a few months, is currently under investigation. The report also states that Wells had picked up three hitchhikers, to which Wells says, "I've never given a ride to hitchhikers in my life. I don't know where that came from."

She does admit that her driving was reckless, "I was weaving. I was trying to turn on the heater and was in an unfamiliar car. But I've only had one ticket in my life and I was going 7 miles over the speed limit."

Hopefully that will put an end to the harmful and irresponsible rumors that tried to make Wells out to be some kind of baked-driving hard-toker, just because an incompetent rookie found pot in her car after stopping her for weaving across an open highway. Still, we know how stoners, however misguided, love coronating their own, so Wells shouldn't be too surprised when she gets the call informing her she'll be feted with a Lifetime Doober's Award at next year's High Times Stonies.

ETOnline.com

12:03 PM on Fri Mar 14 2008
By Seth
4,651 views
21 comments

Comments

Mr-Busy at 12:11 PM on 03/14/08
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Best career move she's had since 1964 and she goes and ruins it....
denominator at 12:15 PM on 03/14/08
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If there was no DUI charge and no weed charge, why'd she get booked? Idaho must take its speeding tickets EXTREMELY seriously...
Gregoire at 12:19 PM on 03/14/08
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I agree. She should have OWNED it.

Yeah, I smoked pot. Get what, I do booty bumps too!

[Cartman]Whateva. I'll do what I want[/Cartman]
NoGrumpys at 12:27 PM on 03/14/08
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Gilligan was busted for 420 when he lived in Hawaii. Its a good thing the Professor constructed a bong out of coconut shells and taro root!!!
Greg Johnson at 12:43 PM on 03/14/08
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Dawn seems really chill. I bet she totally blazes.
Whiteboyfunfark at 01:02 PM on 03/14/08
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Meanwhile, I'll ask again: Has Ginger moved on to meth?
[www.amazon.com]
Benovite at 01:04 PM on 03/14/08
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Mmmm kibosh brownies...
NoGrumpys at 01:10 PM on 03/14/08
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TINA!!! GET ME THE AXE!!!!!!
dango at 01:14 PM on 03/14/08
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I love the relatively huge amount of headroom in the mug shot.
raghead at 01:25 PM on 03/14/08
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Man, all this talk is making me hungry for a banana cream pie, mmmmm pie!!!!!!!!!
procrastinator, esq. at 02:27 PM on 03/14/08
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Connectedness Index: 117

Between Dawn Wells and Larry Craig, it's high (hee!) time Idaho adopted a new slogan. May I suggest:

Idaho: The Implausible Arrest-Denial State
Whiteboyfunfark at 02:57 PM on 03/14/08
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@NoGrumpys: Or is that "Axe me about the tina!!!" Hollywood Royalty....Box Office Poison indeed!
Magister at 02:59 PM on 03/14/08
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It would've been great if she had owned it, but as she says in the clip: she is operating a school, she is promoting a film festival and she's obviously playing a political game. The timing of her bust doesn't sound like it was ideal.

Also, though this may sound like I'm stressing a possible generational division, but I don't know that mandatory minimums and zero tolerance haven't totally changed the game. Nonetheless, I do know from experience that heads my age and older would not only step-up and claim dope that was truly ours, but I've actually taken the fall myself for other people's pot because I was in a better position to take the consequences.

Oh, and the whole, smearing the cop for being unfair was also a nice (and possibly generational) touch. And, you do have to take into account that in the clip, she never actually says that she doesn't and hasn't indulged, she just says that she couldn't take the bust, rails against the arrest and the fact that she gave the cop probable cause.
mordecai1908 at 04:17 PM on 03/14/08
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The thing is, Wells admitting that the marijuana was hers would not have been a career killer for her. Where her career is not, it would have been at most a non-factor, and maybe even a positive. Look how it's already returned her to the limelight, and in a good way. No one is pointing fingers at her for being a druggie or for letting down the kids or anything like that. It's not like she's being accused of killing puppies or going on some sort of Michael Richards-like racist rant. She's an icon of the 1960s, and pot was part of that era as well, so the likelihood of her indulging then or now is well within the realm of possibilities. I'm not saying that she's lying here, but if she is trying to cover her butt, it wasn't necessary to do so.

Besides, let's not forget that when Bob Denver was busted several years ago for pot possession, he initially told authorities that he received the weed from none other than Dawn Wells. He refused to throw her under the bus officially when the case went to court, but his first statement still lingers in the air. And, frankly, the idea of Mary Ann being a toker does have a certain appeal. Makes my answer to The Question all the more easier.

On that note, upon having watched the ET video of Wells, I have to say that, dope or no dope, she's still getting it done at 69. It may be a combination of lots of work and lots of makeup, but it's working.
moochia at 06:35 PM on 03/14/08
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@mordecai1908: I concur. She looks fab!

She got all sorts of support "with the exception of GInger"? Oh, Tina, Tina, Tina. And when I think that you were my favorite.

@Whiteboyfunfark: You know what they say about a picture and a thousand words:
moochia at 06:36 PM on 03/14/08
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Whoops. Guess I can't post a picture...or I'm a dofus. Could be both. Go here:

[us.movies1.yimg.com]
raincoaster at 11:08 PM on 03/14/08
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Connectedness Index: 337

@moochia: There are some weirdosities about posting pictures on Gawker sites. Here:
BIG WHEEL at 08:27 AM on 03/15/08
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@raincoaster: AHHH!! My eyes! Now I get the meth comment...
anotherlovetko at 10:26 AM on 03/15/08
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@Mr-Busy: My thoughts EXACTLY. Jeezus...
Final at 10:39 AM on 03/16/08
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Can somebody plz tell Mary Ann that it's ok if she had a little bit of Chiba on her/in her. It's the new millenium not 1951.

The legalization movement NEEDS a Rosa Parks. And who's gonna give somebody with that mugshot Fed-time =)
If she wasn't DUI or DWI the arrest is ridiculous.
Corbini at 10:21 AM on 04/29/08
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Leave Dawn Wells alone and shut-up about it before I have to kiss some ass.