Adam Ant, the eccentric new wave singer behind such '80s pop hits as "Goody Two Shoes" and "Stand and Deliver," has been committed to a London psychiatric hospital after a bizarre bar row.
Ant (born Stuart Goddard) was taken into custody Saturday night at the Prince of Wales pub in North London after getting into a fight and allegedly brandishing a fake gun. He was charged with possession of a firearm or imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence as well as criminal damage and one charge of committing actual bodily harm on a man in his forties, according to a police statement.
The next day, police said, officials received calls from several of Ant's close friends and members of his family who said they feared for the 47-year-old singer's safety. The cops then picked up Ant in the Camden Town area of North London, near his home in Primrose Hill.
The singer, who suffers from manic depression, was detained under the Mental Health Act and taken "involuntarily, but not necessarily against his will" to London's Royal Free Hospital, a hospital spokesperson said. Under the law, Ant can be detained for up to 28 days. Within his first 14 days at the facility he may file an appeal to be released.
A statement on Ant's Web site said the singer "is not suicidal, however family and friends are concerned that Adam [was] not receiving the care that he requires, and they do not wish to see him become a potential threat to himself."
Ant is still scheduled to embark on his "Here and Now" tour with members of Spandau Ballet in April.