Actress Bai Ling Accused Of Shoplifting

(AP) — Bai Ling’s good looks and eccentric outfits have frequently put her picture in celebrity magazines, but that doesn’t mean she can take the magazines for free.

The Chinese actress was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of shoplifting two celebrity magazines and two packets of batteries at Los Angeles International Airport. The items had a total value of $16, said Sgt. Jim Holcomb of the airport’s police department.

The 41-year-old actress was detained by a store employee who summoned police, Holcomb said. She was booked for investigation of misdemeanor shoplifting and released after agreeing to appear in court on March 5.

An e-mail message seeking comment sent to Ling’s agent on Thursday was not immediately returned.

Ling has appeared in such films as “The Crow” and “Anna and the King” and in the TV series “Lost.”

The day of her arrest, she posted a message on her blog with a photo of herself at the airport waiting for a delayed flight. She made no mention of her arrest, instead wondering whether people were “rushing in the cold wind to work” after the Chinese New Year.

“Life is a sad song sometime but still sings the beauty for their loved ones,” she wrote.