Arrest warrant issued for Richard Gere for kissing actress Shilpa Shetty

April 27, 2007

American actor Richard Gere, 51, kissed Indian actress Shilpa Shetty, 31, on the cheek several times during an AIDS awareness event in Delhi, India. A court has issued an arrest warrant for both Gere and Shetty for public obscenity.

Gere, who starred in an American remake of the original Japanese version Shall We Dance, was doing a ballroom dancing act with Shetty.

"He especially told me to tell the media that he didn't want to hurt any Indian sensibilities," Shetty said.

The act came to issue when a local lawyer complained to a court in Jaipur, Rajasthan. It is being called "an obscene act" by the court in Jaipur, Rajasthan. In India, showing affection in public is frowned upon. People in India protested against the act saying it went against their culture.

Gere appeared in an interview with Jon Stewart on The Daily Show last night. "Me kissing the girl on the cheek was nothing," he said. "To be honest, this recent media storm has taken me by complete surprise. End the circus around this episode." They are scheduled to appear in court on May 5. If convicted, Gere could be fined or sent to jail for three months.