(Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for iHeart)
Lauren Jauregui, a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, was cited by police at Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C. for allegedly trying to get on a plane with marijuana on Tuesday night.
The citation was first reported by TMZ as an arrest. A Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority spokeswoman confirmed that Jauregui got in trouble at the airport to People Magazine.
Fifth Harmony is best known for their hit “Worth It.” They have released two studio albums, Reflection (2015) and 7/27 (2016). They’ve also had hits with “All in My Head (Flex),” “Work From Home” and “Boss.”
Jauregui made headlines last month by announcing that she is bisexual in an open letter to Donald Trump voters.
Here’s what we know so far about the 20-year-old’s arrest and a look at her career. She has yet to tweet about the report.
1. Jauregui Was Reportedly Arrested At the TSA Checkpoint in Dulles Airport
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Law enforcement sources told TMZ that Jauregui was stopped at a Transportation Security Authority checkpoint, where she had to undergo a secondary search. That’s when a staffer allegedly found a bag of marijuana in her carry-on luggage.
Police were called over to the checkpoint, according to TMZ.
Initially, TMZ reported that Jauregui was arrested, but her attorney later told the site that she was only “given a citation for possession of marijuana and released on her own recognizance.” She was not detained by police.
Although Jauregui has not tweeted about the incident yet, singer JoJo tweeted “#FreeLauren.”
In Washington D.C., it is legal for anyone over 21 to carry two ounces or less of marijuana, the DC government website notes. However, Jauregui is still under 21. It is also still illegal for anyone to possess more than two ounces of marijuana and to use it in a public place.
Despite her citation, Jauregui did post an Instagram statement Wednesday morning. She asked her fans to help people suffering in Aleppo, Syria. However, she didn’t comment about her reported arrest at all.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BN__y6ghQrq/?taken-by=laurenjauregui
2. She Was Heading to Brazil, Where Fifth Harmony is Supposed to Perform Wednesday
Fifth Harmony in December, with Jauregui in the center. (Getty)
Jauregui was heading to Brazil, where Fifth Harmony was originally scheduled to perform on Wednesday. The group has been touring to promote their new album, 7/27.
Fifth Harmony is scheduled to perform at the VEVO FunPopFun Festival by Fanta 2016 in Sao Paulo, Brazil on Wednesday. On Friday, December 16, they are supposed to perform at the Philips Arena in Atlanta.
The singer’s attorney told TMZ that the marijuana citation will not interfere with Fifth Harmony’s scheduled performances.
However, as TMZ confirmed, Jauregui was not at the Brazil show. She later tweeted an apology for missing the show.
3. Jauregui Joined Fifth Harmony After Auditioning on The X Factor at Age 16
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Jauregui is 20 years old and auditioned for the American version of The X Factor. She was only 16 at the time.
All five members of Fifth Harmony auditioned on the show as solo artists and had to learn to work together after the group was assembled.
“One day, we all have the idea of being a solo artist, but that’s not our focus right now,” Jaauregui told Billboard. “We all allow each other to explore our individual things that make us happy, and so we’re just being supportive of each other, and making sure we focus on Fifth Harmony and what’s important to the group is important to all five of us.”
In addition to their massively popular music, the group is also official ambassadors for the Cybersmile Foundation which hopes to stop cyberbullying.
4. She Wrote an Open Letter to Donald Trump’s Voters, Announcing That She’s Bisexual
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Jauregui announced in November that she is bisexual after writing an open letter to Donald Trump’s voters. The letter was published by Billboard a few days after Trump won the presidency.
“I am a bisexual Cuban-American woman and I am so proud of it,” Jauregui wrote in the open letter. “I am proud to be part of a community that only projects love and education and the support of one another. I am proud to be the granddaughter and daughter of immigrants who were brave enough to leave their homes and come to a whole new world with a different language and culture and immerse themselves fearlessly to start a better life for themselves and their families.”
The singer continues to use her Twitter page to comment on politics and current events. “Life imitates art, America has become a reality TV show..that happens to be the super power of the ‘free world’ lol,” she wrote this week.
Life imitates art, America has become a reality TV show..that happens to be the super power of the “free world” lol
Jauregui came forward as bisexual just days after the below photo of her kissing a woman who The Latin Times identified as Lucy Bibes, the daughter of Colombian singer Carlos Vives. The photo was taken at a family wedding.
5. She Says Her Influences Include Alicia Keys & Christina Aguilera
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Jauregui’s influences include Paramore, Journey, Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys. In fact, when she auditioned on The X Factor, she performed Keys’ “If I Ain’t Got You.”
Although these might be her influences as an artist, Jauregui’s family has been a major influence on her as a person. When her grandmother died in February 2015, she said her grandmother “taught me that a strong mind and heart are essential in this life.”
According to her biography on the Fifth Harmony website, she first sang at a karaoke party when she was only two years old.
“Music had always been a huge part of me but I never had the means to do anything about it,” she is quoted as saying on the website.
Jauregui, who was born in Miami, has two siblings, Taylor and Chris. She also recently collaborated with Marian Hill for “Back to Me.”