The Flash star Ezra Miller has pleaded not guilty to felony burglary charges.
As reported by Deadline, the actor appeared remotely in the Vermont Superior Court to speak to recently filed charges which allege they broke into the property of Isaac Winokur, their neighbor. Following their plea, Miller was prohibited from interacting with Winokur and faces a potential jail time of 26 years if found guilty; the DC Extended Universe star my also be liable to pay a $2,000 fine. Superior Court Judge Kerry A. McDonald-Cady ordered Miller to appear in court again at a yet-to-be-confirmed date to continue with the case. During the legal proceedings, The Flash star agreed to the court's conditions and noted that they understood the procedure going forward.
In August 2022, Vermont State Police shared evidence of Miller breaking and entering onto property owned by Winokur, who was not at home at the time. The actor stated that they were looking for ingredients to make a meal for their mother. Miller was also charged with petty larceny for stealing several bottles of alcohol. Winokur stated that he had known Miller for nearly 20 years and considered them friend.
Miller has been in legal trouble on multiple occasions throughout 2022, beginning with two arrests in Hawaii for disorderly conduct, assault and harassment. While the restraining order filed by the affected couple was eventually dropped, Miller's troubles continued. In June Miller was accused of grooming and kidnapping 18-year-old Tokata Iron Eyes, with Chase Iron Eyes and Sara Jumping Eagle, the teenager's guardians, filing a restraining order against the actor, alleging Miller had taken advantage of Tokata through "cult-like and psychologically manipulative, controlling behavior."
In August 2022, Miller released a public statement insisting that they were seeking professional help for "complex mental health issues," going on to apologize to anyone they may have affected. "I am committed to doing the necessary work to get back to a healthy, safe and productive stage in my life," they said. Despite the allegations and arrests, Warner Bros. Discovery has made it clear that intends to release The Flash and will not be replacing the movie's star. Many fans have called on the studio to recast the role of Barry Allen, insisting that Miller should not play the character in future DCEU projects. Most recently, Insecure creator Issa Rae slammed Warner Bros. for attempting to save The Flash rather than "shutting down" an actor who is "a repeat offender [and has] been behaving atrociously."
The Flash premieres in theaters on June 23, 2023.
Source: Deadline