They say seven is a lucky number. Not so for actress Lindsay Lohan.
The 24-year-old actress was sentenced Tuesday to 90 days in jail and 90 days in a residential substance-abuse program for violating her probation stemming from two separate 2007 cases of driving under the influence of cocaine and alcohol.
She is to surrender and begin her jail sentence July 20. Rehab will follow.
The punishment, levied by Superior Court Judge Marsha Revel, had the "Mean Girls" star in tears.
"I am not taking this as a joke. This is my life. It is my career. It is something I have worked for all my life," Lohan pleaded.
But prosecutor Danette Meyers countered, saying that the actress had been given enough chances.
"Not once, but seven times she has not complied with this court's order," Meyers said. "The court is clearly irrelevant to her."
Revel clearly agreed. She called Lohan's apology "insincere," and compared it to "somebody who cheats and thinks it isn't cheating if she doesn't get caught."
Revel chastised Lohan for missing a court hearing in May while she attended the Cannes Film Festival, and for repeatedly missing alcohol-education classes mandated by the court. Revel accused Lohan of lying about drug abuse and for trying to blame others for her two driving offences.
Michael Rechstaffen, an entertainment writer and movie critic for "The Hollywood Reporter," has been following the Lohan saga. He said Lohan's often sarcastic and bold attitude before the judge likely didn't help her cause.
"Time after time we've seen her not take this judge seriously," Rechstaffen told Canada AM on Wednesday.
But Lohan's attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, said her client "has gotten it together."
"She has done far more than she has not done," Holley told the judge. "You woke her up, you got her attention, she is juggling a lot of things...but in the end she got it right."
The star's father, Michael Lohan, also questioned the court's ruling.
Last night on CNN's "Larry King Live" Lohan claimed that the courts were failing his daughter. He also said that jail time for a person combating an addiction to prescription pills was futile and senseless.
"She needs rehab," Lohan told King as he wiped away his tears.
A probation report released Wednesday offers insight into just how much prescription medication Lohan is taking. The report showed that six drug screenings conducted on the actress since May were clean of illicit drugs and alcohol.
The screenings were done after Lohan was ordered to begin wearing an alcohol-monitoring device for missing the May hearing.
But, the report also said the actress was taking a number of prescription medications, including Adderall, which is used to treat hyperactivity disorder, and the powerful painkiller Dilaudid, which the report said was for dental pain.
Lohan is also taking the antidepressants Zoloft and Trazadone, as well as the heartburn medication Nexium.
Lohan's career comeback in limbo
Regardless, Lohan's impending date with prison and rehab put her career comeback in limbo.
Depending on how much time she serves of her sentence, Lohan may be unable to promote "Machete," the Robert Rodriguez action film due in theatres in September. Her sentence may also delay the production of "Inferno: A Linda Lovelace Story." Lohan stars in this bio-pic of 70s' porn queen Linda Lovelace.
Writer-director Matthew Wilder stands behind Lohan. In a statement issued after the court's ruling, Wilder said, "We are proud to have this remarkable artist work on our film."
Lohan was also in negotiations for a role in the upcoming Willie Nelson movie, "The Dry Gulch Kid." Remarkably, "Gulch" producer Kerry Wallum also stands by Lohan and says the production will wait for her.
Even Lohan's dreams of becoming a fashion mogul have screeched to a halt. Lohan was about to promote 6126, her new fashion line. Due in stores this month, Lohan played a key role in designing and marketing the 280-piece collection.
Without front-woman Lohan, the collection's success now seems very uncertain.
Yet despite these setbacks and Lohan's looming jail time, clever marketing could work in her favour. Controversy sells well in today's tabloid world.
"The industry loves contrition. They love to see people pay their dues," says Rechstaffen. "Look at Robert Downey Jr. or Martha Stewart."
As Rechstaffen says, "If they keep her away from clubs for longer than two days at a time she may come out of this okay. Otherwise, she may not have been alive by the end of the year."
