Who is Heather Locklear, is she married and why did she divorce Tommy Lee?
HEATHER Locklear has been ordered to spend 30 days in a rehab facility after she pleaded no contest to a number of extreme assault charges.
The actress has had a troubled time in recent years, having been arrested on suspicion of domestic violence – here's what you need to know about her court-ordered sentence.
Who is Heather Locklear?
Heather Locklear was born on September 25, 1961, in Los Angeles, making her 57.
She began her TV career in an episode of US drama CHiPs in 1980.
The following year, she joined the cast of Dynasty as Sammy Jo Carrington at the age of 20, becoming a star during her eight-year stint on the show.
She is also widely known for portraying Amanda Woodward on another American soap, Melrose Place, for which she earned four consecutive Golden Globe nominations.
The actress also starred in a series of movies, including sci-fi flick Firestarter and comedies Money Talks, The Perfect Man and Scary Movie 5.
Locklear was also instantly recognisable for many years as the face of L'Oreal, appearing in many of their campaigns during the 1990s.
In recent years, the actress has been at the centre of various legal and personal troubles.
She was pulled over in September 2008 on suspicion of Driving Under the Influence (DUI).
While a test found no alcohol or illegal drugs in her system, she was charged with one misdemeanour count of DUI.
The Santa Barbara County Deputy District Attorney said he believed medication she was on for anxiety and depression "could have impaired her ability to safely drive a motor vehicle".
Locklear pleaded no contest to reckless driving.
In March 2008, paramedics and police officers rushed to Locklear's home when a man claiming to be her doctor called 911, saying he feared she was trying to commit suicide.
However, the actress appeared fine when cops showed up at her door.
In January 2012, authorities responded to Locklear's house again after her sister called 911, fearing her life was in danger after mixing prescription medication and alcohol.
Locklear was taken to the hospital but was discharged the next day.
In September 2017 Locklear reportedly crashed her Porsche into a ditch in Los Angeles.
Why was she ordered to a mental health facility?
Heather was ordered to spend 30 days in a residential mental health facility, which she is expected to enroll in by September 6.
The judge's ruling came after Heather had pleaded no contest to eight misdemeanors - six of which were shockingly related to allegedly attacking a police officer.
It was further mentioned that if the Hollywood actress fails to complete her month in the facility, she will consequently face a 120-day jail sentence.
And should all go well for the mother-of-one, once she had finished her treatment program, she'll be on three years of probation with absolute no permission to be in the possession of any weapons, alcohol or non-prescribed medications.
Heather was famously arrested last June after she allegedly punched a cop and kicked a paramedic as they responded to a "disturbance call" at her Los Angeles home.
At the time, Heather's family was understood to have called 911 while the actress was believed to be heavily intoxicated, shortly after threatening to shoot herself.
Heather entered rehab in November, 2018 in what appeared to be a desperate attempt to get her life back on track, but according to , "she doesn't seem to be making progress".
"She continues to drink and abuse the people around her", a source concluded.
Is Heather Locklear married?
No, but Locklear has been dating Chris Heisser, her high school sweetheart, for several months.
An Instagram post from the actress in September 2017 hinted at the pair's long-standing affection, with Locklear captioning a shot of the pair: "My favorite person on earth. 40 years later."
The actress has previously been married twice, first to Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee from 1986 to 1993 and then to Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora from 1994 to 2007.
She has one child, a 21-year-old daughter named Ava, who she had with Sambora.
Locklear also had a long-term relationship with fellow Melrose Place alum Jack Wagner.
The two got engaged in 2011, but called it quits less than a year later.
Why did she split from Tommy Lee?
According to the Netflix biopic The Dirt, based on Tommy Lee's Motley Crue band, though the couple was madly in love with one another, their different career paths would keep them apart on many occasions.
This was Tommy's second marriage and the first for Locklear, who many can't seem to believe was only 24 at the time.
Their marital problems stemmed from the fact that Heather was busy working on her acting career while her former husband was touring the world with his band.
And Tommy was in no place to distance himself from the party animal lifestyle he'd become so accustomed to.
The 56-year-old would engage in sexual activities outside of his marriage, which led to one of his wild sex moments being filmed on camera and subsequently published to all the major news tabloids.
Upon finding out about the sex scandal, Locklear seemed ready to end the relationship, with their divorce coming about in 1994 after eight years of marriage.
Why was Heather Locklear arrested?
Locklear was arrested on after allegedly punching a cop and kicking a paramedic as they tried to restrain her.
The incident came just days after she “threatened to shoot herself”.
The Dynasty star, 56, was held after police responded to a “disturbance call”, according to reports.
A family member of Locklear’s is understood to have called 911 while the actress was “heavily intoxicated”, TMZ reported at the time.
When police arrived, she allegedly punched an officer attempting to separate her from family.
Reports suggest she then kicked an EMT who was putting her on a gurney.
Ventura County Sheriff's Office records show that Locklear was taken into custody and later booked on two misdemeanour counts of battery.
Locklear was first taken to the hospital to be cleared for booking, according to the Sheriff's Office.
She was released on June 25 after posting a $20,000 (£15,000) bail and is thought to have checked into a treatment facility.
Her arrest came just four months after she was held by police for allegedly scrapping with her boyfriend Chris Heisser.
She had previously been arrested for allegedly fighting with her boyfriend and attacking policemen, a 911 audio recording suggests.
According to the police, the troubled actress was taken away following a late-night visit to her Los Angeles home which left Hessier with a visible mark on his body.
As they tried to take her into custody, Locklear allegedly started thrashing around – kicking and hitting three officers.
She was taken to a hospital for evaluation, then booked into jail on one count of felony domestic violence and three counts of misdemeanour battery on an officer.
The star was later released from the Ventura County Jail, in California, after posting bail.
Why was the Dynasty star admitted to hospital?
According to , the actress was taken to hospital on June 18 for a psychiatric evaluation after a family member tipped off police about her concerning behaviour.
The US website claims she was acting "erratically" and was "trying to find a gun to shoot herself".
After receiving a distressed call from a family member, the police arrived at Heather's home and apparently took her to a nearby hospital for assessment.
A representative for Heather told The Sun Online: “Heather is currently on hiatus and we have no information regarding this situation.”