Christina Aguilera and Boyfriend Arrested

Is Christina Aguilera spiraling out of control? The singer, who has recently been facing problems in both her personal and professional lives, was arrested for public intoxication after her new boyfriend was stopped and arrested for DUI. INSIDE EDITION

Christina Aguilera was arrested for public drunkenness around 3 a.m. on Tuesday.
 
Her boyfriend, Matthew Rutler, was charged with driving drunk after the pair was pulled over at an intersection in West Hollywood.

Police said Aguilera was "extremely intoxicated" and was taken into custody "for her own protection."

Authorities say Christina Aguilera was a passenger in the car her boyfriend was driving. Officers believed she was so drunk they were concerned for her safety and arrested her. This is the latest incident in a seemingly downward spiral for the singer.  

"She was booked, she was fingerprinted, and she was put in a cell," Los Angeles County sheriff's spokesman Steve Whitmore told reporters.

Aguilera was detained for about five hours and released Tuesday morning. When leaving the sheriff's station, she crouched in the back seat of a car with her head covered.

There are no plans to bring criminal charges against the singer. Rutler was released on $5,000 bail three hours later.  

Even before her arrest there were published reports that Aguilera's drinking has become increasingly excessive.
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The arrest follows two spectacular public foul-ups by Aguilera in recent  weeks.

First, she botched the words of the National Anthem before the Super Bowl.

Just a week later while performing at the Grammy Awards she stumbled badly onstage.   

The incidents come amid turmoil in the 30-year-old star's personal life.

She separated from her husband, Jordan Bratman, last September, but they continued to live in the same house until last month, even after her new boyfriend moved in.

Aguilera and Britney Spears both began their careers as Mouseketeers. Just as Spears conquered her demons in rehab, Aguilera's fans are hoping she can also put her problems behind her.