'Jersey Shore' Star Deena Cortese Banned From Bar For Two Years After Drunkenness Arrest
"Jersey Shore" performer Deena Cortese has been banned from the premises of Jersey Shore bar Spicy Cantina & Mexican Grill for two years after an incident there in June.
On June 10, Cortese, 25, was filming a scene for "Jersey Shore" at the Seaside Heights restaurant and bar when the "visibly intoxicated" performer began walking on top of the bar before wandering out into traffic, carrying an alcoholic beverage.
New Jersey's Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control fined Spicy Cantina $15,000 after the Cortese incident and demanded that the restaurant ban the "Jersey Shore" figure from the premises for a period of two years.
"This settlement is a cautionary tale for licensees who might think ignoring the law for the sake of air time is good for business," Michael Halfacre, the division's director, told the Associated Press. "By turning a blind eye to the mayhem that can be associated with reality television, you are risking your livelihood. That is, without a doubt, bad for business."
No one from Spicy Cantina was willing to give a statement to the Associated Press.
Cortese, who was arrested, later told police that she had been drinking throughout the day.
The "Jersey Shore" star appeared in court a month later and pleaded guilty to failure to use the sidewalk, resulting in a $106 fine. Cortese avoided a criminal charge by coopering with the court and pleading guilty.
Spicy Cantina faced a severe punishment from the state for serving Cortese drinks that she did not order. Rather than cut her off after management decided Cortese was too intoxicated, servers brought her several shots of water and lied, saying they contained alcohol. This practice is illegal in New Jersey.
According to a letter sent to the New Jersey alcohol division, "she was served several shots of water, which she thought contained alcohol. She was also served non-alcoholic drink mix with fruit garnish. She drank multiple glasses without realizing that she was not drinking alcohol."