Entertainment

Shailene Woodley Pleads Not Guilty To Trespassing

by Nicole Pomarico

Earlier this month, thousands of people watched a Facebook live stream during which Shailene Woodley was arrested for allegedly trespassing while protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. And now, her case is entering its next steps. According to E! News, on Wednesday, Woodley pled not guilty to charges of criminal trespass and engaging in a riot via her attorney, Alexander Reichert. The site adds that there is no court date set so far.

While Woodley broadcasted live during the protest and then in the moments during her arrest, she claimed that she was walking back to her RV when police allegedly prevented her from continuing, and then an officer could be heard telling her she was being placed under arrest. At that point, she told cops, "As soon as you guys asked me to leave, I left." She then added, "It's because I'm well known. It's because I have 40,000 people watching." A police officer told her it was because she was "identified," and she was then handcuffed and led to a police car as the people she was with continued filming.

In the video, it was clear that Woodley didn't believe the police were justified in arresting her, and now that she's asserting her innocence in court, it doesn't sound like she's changing her story now.

It's not surprising that Woodley has decided to stick to her guns here. In the footage, Woodley maintained that she was protesting peacefully and claimed that she tried to leave peacefully as soon as police showed up. After she was released, Woodley shared a post on Instagram restating how important stopping the pipeline is to her.

Shortly after her arrest, Woodley's rep released a statement to Bustle:

Shailene Woodley has been released from the Morton County Jail in North Dakota. She appreciates the outpouring of support, not only for her, but more importantly, for the continued fight against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Bustle reached out to the Morton County Sheriff's office at the time of Woodley's arrest, but did not receive any comment.

Woodley has always stood up for what she believes in, and this is just another instance of her speaking up for what matters to her. This could end in a lengthy legal battle for her, but it definitely seems like she's up to the task.