Actor Daniel Stern (68), who gained worldwide fame for the Home Alone series, was reportedly investigated by police on suspicion of attempting to solicit prostitution.
U.S. outlet TMZ reported on the 10th (local time) that Daniel Stern, well known for his role as the burglar Marv in Home Alone, was cited for allegedly attempting to solicit prostitution at a hotel in Camarillo, California, on Dec. 10 of last year.
According to the report, Stern was not arrested at the scene, but under California law solicitation of prostitution is classified as a misdemeanor and, if convicted, can be punished by up to six months in jail or a $1,000 fine.
This controversy drew even more attention because it surfaced just after it became known that he was participating in a project related to the real house in Winnetka, a Chicago suburb famous as a Home Alone filming location. In an interview with People published on Christmas Eve, Stern said he had been contacted by the homeowner and was creating a sculpture to commemorate the film scene, saying he was making a statue depicting himself and a tarantula.
The sculpture is an homage to the scene in which Kevin, played by Macaulay Culkin, places a giant spider on Marv's face, and Stern expressed anticipation, calling it his first self-portrait work.
Meanwhile, Daniel Stern has reduced his Hollywood activities in recent years and focused on life as an artist at his ranch in Ventura, California. In Oct. of last year he was reportedly taken to a hospital due to a sudden medical emergency and later recovered.
Stern has not issued a separate official statement regarding the solicitation charge or reports of health issues. The symbolic figure of the Christmas classic has become the center of an unfortunate year-end controversy, leaving fans disappointed.
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