Winona Ryder reveals how 2001 shoplifting arrest affected her booming Hollywood career

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Winona Ryder has spoken up about the time when she had to leave her acting career and move away from Hollywood.

The ‘Edward Scissorhands’ star was arrested for shoplifting in 2001 and was subsequently found guilty of grand theft and shoplifting. She was then reportedly awarded three years’ probation, and fines, and was also asked to do community service.

Now speaking with Esquire, Ryder shared how it affected her and what did she to cope with all the drama.

Winona Ryder opens up about her 2001 arrest

Winona Ryder revealed, “It definitely had a giant effect. It’s so funny, because there’s so much lore around that story, but it really couldn’t have been more of me thinking I’m going to my car to get something.”

“I just remember being told I was going to go to prison. I was like, ‘Huh? What are you talking about?’” Ryder recalled.

But she also mentioned that she “checked out” to keep herself sane. “I think I just checked out,” the ‘Heathers’ actress claimed.

Winona Ryder claims her return to Hollywood was ‘scary’ for her

However, when Winona Ryder came back to acting again she found Hollywood different.

The ‘Beetlejuice’ star said, “There was a period when I was not in season. It was like 10, 12, 15 years, and it did coincide with everything that happened [in her life] but also, if you look at the period from 2000 to 2010: wow! It was the most degrading time to be a woman.”

“Even the cool people were participating in what felt like it should be off-limits,” she stated.

Ryder continued, “I remember being really scared during that time. It felt like there was a shift in the industry and the culture about what became acceptable and what became rewarded.

“Actresses were being punished for not getting the joke, or not playing along. Everyone was trying to be the cool girl, sexualized but also one of the guys.”

“I thought it was demeaning. I just remember feeling like, man, if this is the future, we’re fucked,” she added.

Winona Ryder claims shoplifting incident gave her time she needed

Winona Ryder’s statement came years after in 2016 during an interview, she said that her shoplifting arrest was a silver lining in the dark clouds rather than the “crime of the century.”

“Psychologically, I must have been at a place where I just wanted to stop. I won’t get into what happened, but it wasn’t what people think,” she noted, as per PEOPLE.

She asserted, “And it wasn’t like the crime of the century! But it allowed me time that I really needed, where I went back to San Francisco and got back into things that, I just had other interests, frankly.”