Irene Bedard, Voice of Disney's Pocahontas, Arrested for Disorderly Conduct in Ohio
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Jesse Grant/Getty Irene Bedard
Irene Bedard, the woman behind the speaking voice of the titular heroine in Disney's Pocahontas, was arrested Friday in Ohio for disorderly conduct, police confirm.
A report from the Xenia Police Division, obtained by PEOPLE, explained that Major Osburn and Major Johnson had observed two females arguing on the street before one, who was later identified as Irene Bedard-Wilson, "walked out into the street screaming, without any regard for traffic."
The two officers separated Bedard, 55, from the other woman, identified as Sheila Johnson. A third officer then arrived and spoke to Bedard along with one of the officers already on the scene.
A representative for Bedard did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
According to the report, "as [Bedard] spoke, there was a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage on her breath," though she told officers she had not had anything to drink that day. She did disclose, though, that the day prior, she had consumed a bottle of vodka.
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Paul Redmond/WireImage Irene Bedard
Bedard explained to officers that Johnson had been trying to help her into her "studio," though she was unable to find her keys.
The report said she was unable to give officers the name of someone to call on her behalf, and declined an offer of being brought to the hospital.
Police said the actress was calm at points though her "emotions changed rapidly" and she would become upset — even crying. The report explained that, at one point, Johnson tried to give the name of someone they could call for Bedard but the latter "yelled that she didn't want that person called and ran away from us screaming."
The report said that Bedard became angry at the officers at one point, referencing a "previous incident where she said police didn't help her."
Police explained that Bedard later backed into a large window "as she continued to yell at us" and, out of fear of the glass breaking, one officer grabbed Bedard's arm and pulled her away. After confirming that there was not another person to call on her behalf, Bedard was told that she was under arrest, the report explained.
The actress was taken to Greene County Jail and booked for disorderly conduct, though TMZ, who was first to report the arrest, was told she was released on Sunday.
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The report referenced an earlier incident that day that involved a woman described to be wearing the same thing Bedard was wearing at the time of her arrest. Police said officers were alerted that a woman was passed out in the bushes and were dispatched to do a welfare check. Once they arrived, the person had left, though they found a vehicle registered to Bedard parked in a lot next door.
According to TMZ, the actress was also arrested twice back in 2020 over a three-day period. The outlet reported that Bedard was booked on charges of assault, domestic violence and resisting arrest the first time and posted bond. Court records show that the assault and domestic-violence charges were dropped, and that she pleaded guilty to resisting arrest, criminal damages and disorderly conduct.
The second time, TMZ reported, Bedard was booked for disorderly conduct and released without bail. She later pleaded guilty to the second charge, according to court records.
In addition to starring in Smoke Signals (1998) and voicing Pocahontas in the 1995 movie of the same name, Bedard also gave animators for Pocahontas a physical inspiration.
"While we were recording, the animators filmed me to use as a reference for expression and body movement. They also captured certain facial expressions and the way my hands moved," the actress told UltimateDisney.com in 2005.
She added at the time, "My 2-year-old already recognizes 'Mommy' on the screen. My brother came all the way from Alaska to the Central Park premiere and throughout the screening, he constantly nudged me because he recognized traits of mine."
