Getty Sean Stewart, the son of musician Rod Stewart
Sean Roderick Stewart is the oldest son of musician Rod Stewart and his former wife Alana Stewart.
The younger Stewart has been no stranger to law enforcement over the past two decades, including prior arrests for assault. But on December 31, 2019, his father was right there beside him during a confrontation that resulted in battery charges leveled against both Stewarts.
Here’s what you need to know.
1. Police: Video Footage Showed Sean & Rod Stewart Assault a Security Guard at a Hotel After Being Denied Entrance to a Private Event In the Children’s Area
Sean Stewart and his father Rod are both facing a charge of Simple Battery stemming from a New Year’s celebration. According to the arrest report filed in Palm Beach County, the confrontation happened at a hotel called the Breakers around 11 p.m. on December 31, 2019.
The security guard involved, who is an employee of the Breakers, told the police that he was working a private event that night. The event was situated in a children’s area of the hotel. The guard said that he observed a group of people near the check-in table, which later turned out to include Sean and Rod Stewart. They were not permitted inside the private event. The guard said the “group began to get loud and cause a scene” and refused to leave.
The arrest report states that Sean Stewart got “about nose to nose” with the security guard. The guard says he put his hand on Stewart’s chest and told him to back up. Stewart then shoved the man backward. The guard told police that Rod Stewart then stepped forward and punched him in the ribs with a closed fist.
Sean Stewart arrest report
The officer who prepared the arrest report said that Sean Stewart admitted feeling “agitated” when he and his family were not allowed inside the private event. The police also identified two female witnesses, both employees at the hotel, who signed sworn statements about what had happened.
The arrest report includes that the police obtained surveillance footage from the hotel and that the video “revealed both S. Stewart and R. Stewart as the primary aggressors.” The report adds that there was no indication of alcohol or drug use by Sean or Rod Stewart.
Both Stewarts are facing charges for Battery, which is a misdemeanor. They were both ordered to appear at the Palm Beach County Criminal Justice Complex on February 5, 2020.
Rod Stewart reportedly apologized to the security guard at the scene. PEOPLE cited a source who said, “It was a brief misunderstanding and neither Rod nor Sean were detained. Apologies were exchanged and there were no injuries.”
2. Sean Stewart Was Arrested In 2015 For Riding a Luggage Carousal Into a Restricted Area at the Miami Airport
Miami-Dade PoliceSean Stewart is seen in a police booking photo after his arrest for entering a restricted area at Miami International Airport on February 17, 2015.
Sean Stewart took a joke too far at the Miami International Airport in 2015. He was arrested and booked into jail on February 17, 2015, after he got on a luggage carousel and rode it into an area that was off-limits to passengers.
Stewart was charged for illegally entering a restricted area. He posted bond and was released. Miami-Dade County court records indicate that Stewart paid a fine and the case was closed in April of 2015.
Miami-Dade County Clerk of CourtsSean Stewart 2015 arrest
Stewart commented on the incident in an interview with the Daily Mail Australia later that year. “There wasn’t any like foul play or illegal behavior, it was just me taking a joke a little too far.” The news outlet report that Stewart had been traveling from Florida to Haiti for volunteer work at the time of his arrest.
3. Sean Stewart Was Sentenced to Jail in 2002 For Assault & Has Faced Similar Charges At Least Twice Since Then
Sean Stewart at the Malibu Courthouse in 2002
Sean Stewart’s confrontation with the security guard in Palm Beach was far from the first time he has been accused of getting physical with someone. In December 2001, when he was just 22 years old, Stewart was accused of assaulting a 19-year-old man outside of a restaurant in Malibu, California. A witness called 911.
In September of 2002, Stewart pleaded no contest in the case. The Los Angeles Times reported at the time that Stewart was sentenced to 90 days behind bars. Stewart was also ordered to attend anger management classes as well as rehab for drug use. In addition, Steward paid $5,600 in restitution to the victim.
In April of 2007, Stewart was again accused of assault. According to the Monterey Herald, married couple Tobalus and Ericka Stein alleged that Stewart and his friends confronted them at a party in the Hollywood Hills. They claimed that Stewart and the others threw bricks at them and their vehicle. Stewart pleaded not guilty to the charges. A Los Angeles Superior Court judge later ordered both parties to reach an out-of-court settlement.
In August of 2007, Stewart was slapped with another lawsuit over a fight that had happened in January of 2006 at the LAX nightclub in Hollywood. A man named Daniel Refoua claimed that Stewart and his bodyguard beat him up after Refoua accidentally bumped into Stewart, leaving him with a broken nose. Stewart’s attorney argued that Refoua had instigated a fight. The two sides eventually reached a settlement and the case was dismissed.
4. Sean Stewart In 2014: ‘I’ve Done Enough Drugs to Kill Hollywood’
Sean Stewart has had a history of drug abuse and stints in rehabilitation programs. He has admitted to previously using heroin and abusing prescription drugs but says he has been clean for several years.
In 2008, Stewart appeared on Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew to talk about his addiction. Stewart told OK Magazine that while he was on the reality show, he had been sober for several years at that point. He said he agreed to participate to “help others out and deal with some other issues in my life that I have to deal with.”
Stewart has reflected on his past drug abuse in interviews since then. In 2014, he told podcast host Brandi Glanville, “I’ve done my partying. I’ve done enough drugs to kill Hollywood.” He added that he had no desire to return to that lifestyle.
5. Stewart Has Been Featured On Reality TV Programs & Owns a Clothing Company
Fans of Rod Stewart may be familiar with his son due to his several, albeit short, appearances on reality TV programs. As referenced above, Stewart appeared on VH1’s Celebrity Rehab in 2008, but that wasn’t his first reality TV experience.
In 2007, Stewart appeared on the A&E Network show Sons of Hollywood, which also featured the son of Aaron Spelling, Randy. The show had 13 episodes and was canceled after one season.
Stewart was mocked in a New York Times review of the show before the premiere: “Mr. Stewart comes across as rotten, moody and entirely ridiculous. Nowhere in his dealings do we see Rod Stewart’s scrappy wit and enlightened roguish pose.” The Hollywood Reporter had this analysis: “It posits the theory that children of the rich and famous aren’t like you and me. They’re a lot less mature and more boring, somewhat like how human beings tend to grow when their emotional development is arrested at age 5 because everything has been done for them their entire lives.”
In 2015, Stewart gave reality TV another try when he participated in the E! program Stewarts & Hamiltons, which featured his sister Kimberly as the main “character.” The show also included Stewart’s mother, Alana, and her now ex-husband, George Hamilton. The series lasted just eight episodes.
Outside of television, Stewart is a businessman. He launched a clothing line called Dirty Weekend in 2015. According to records on the California Secretary of State website, the venture is still active. But Dirty Weekend’s website, which Stewart has linked to in his Instagram profile, appears to have been deleted or suspended.
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