Grace Kelley, the 27-year-old daughter of country singer Wynonna Judd and her businessman ex-husband, Arch Kelley III, has been charged with soliciting prostitution, indecent exposure and obstructing government operations after an April 5 arrest in Elmore County, Ala., sheriff’s records confirm.
Kelley was arrested in Millbrook, Ala., after holding a sign that read “A Ride for a Ride” alongside a busy highway. Her chest and private parts were unclothed, Millbrook Police Chief P.K. Johnson told the Daily Mail. Prior to the arrest, she had been hassling patrons at local businesses along the highway and told shoppers at Circle K that she had been robbed, Johnson told the Mail. Officers initially approached her at one of the businesses.
“When she made contact with our officers, she argued with them about the legality of what she was doing. And that it was not illegal for her to offer herself in exchange for rides,” Johnson told the Mail. The officers did not arrest her then, but she allegedly continued her behavior and was ultimately arrested where the highway intersected with an interstate route.
Kelley had no drugs or drug paraphernalia on her when she was arrested, Johnson told the U.K. outlet, but added, “if you look at the booking photo, it hadn’t been long.” Johnson spoke to Kelley’s father earlier this week, he said, but noted that only a Judd representative had reached out on her mother’s side.
She remained behind bars Friday in lieu of $2,000 bail, which reportedly may increase due to the new solicitation charge.
The Times was unable to reach the Millbrook Police Department immediately for comment.
Judd and Arch Kelley divorced in 1998, when Grace Kelley was around 2 years old. As a juvenile, she was sent by her mother to spend 60 days in a “behavioral camp” starting in December 2012, per RadarOnline. She later petitioned for her aunt Ashley Judd to take custody of her, and the actor was granted temporary custody. It’s unclear when that agreement ended.
Kelley’s arrest record dates back years and includes drug-related arrests in 2015, 2016 and 2017 in Alabama and Tennessee, per RadarOnline.com. After making an early exit from a 180-day court-ordered rehab program, she was sentenced in June 2018 to eight years in prison, People reported.
Her release date was supposed to be in August 2025, but, per People, she was eligible for parole starting in February 2019. She was paroled in December 2022, according to the Daily Beast.
After being released, she was arrested again in August 2021 for a probation violation related to a 2016 meth arrest and again in May 2023 for parole and restraining order violations, per the Daily Beast.
Grace gave birth to daughter Kaliyah in 2022. “She’s 6 months old and she doesn’t speak yet, but she looks right through me,” Wynonna Judd said of Kaliyah on the “Today” show in October of that year. “She gives me hope.”
Get notified when the biggest stories in Hollywood, culture and entertainment go live. Sign up for L.A. Times entertainment alerts.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
