No, the ShamWow guy did not go to jail. Vince Shlomi was arrested in Miami Beach in February 2009 and charged with felony aggravated battery after a violent encounter with a sex worker, but prosecutors declined to pursue the case. He was never convicted, never sentenced, and served no jail or prison time.1NBC News. ShamWow Guy Cleans Up His Act
What Happened in the Miami Beach Hotel Room
On February 7, 2009, Shlomi, then 44, met 26-year-old Sasha Harris at a Miami Beach nightclub and brought her back to his room at the Setai hotel.2NBC DFW. ShamWow Guy Beats Up Hooker According to the police report, he paid Harris roughly $1,000 for sex. Around 4:00 a.m., Shlomi told police, Harris bit down on his tongue during a kiss and would not let go. He said he punched her several times in the face until she released him.3The Globe and Mail. Vince Shlomi Charged With Battery
Harris suffered facial fractures and multiple cuts. Shlomi’s tongue was bleeding badly enough that he went to the hotel lobby for help and was later treated at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Responding officers noted that both smelled strongly of alcohol.3The Globe and Mail. Vince Shlomi Charged With Battery
Why the Charges Were Dropped
Miami Beach police arrested both Shlomi and Harris, charging each with felony aggravated battery.4NBC Miami. ShamWow Guy Is All Hookered Out Under Florida law, aggravated battery is a second-degree felony that applies when a battery causes great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement.5Florida Senate. Florida Statute 784.045 – Aggravated Battery
Prosecutors declined to pursue the case against either Shlomi or Harris, and the charges were dropped without a trial.1NBC News. ShamWow Guy Cleans Up His Act Because there was no conviction, there was no sentence and no incarceration. Harris was reportedly considering a civil lawsuit against Shlomi in the weeks after the arrest, but there is no indication in later reporting that she filed one.3The Globe and Mail. Vince Shlomi Charged With Battery
What Shlomi Has Said About the Arrest
In a 2013 interview with NBC News, Shlomi said the confrontation followed a “12-hour drinking binge” and accepted responsibility for what happened. “I have to take full responsibility,” he said. “People understand you make mistakes in life. Hopefully I won’t make another mistake.” He called the arrest a turning point that “probably saved my life” and said he cut back on drinking to an occasional glass of wine.1NBC News. ShamWow Guy Cleans Up His Act He separately told TMZ he had sworn off hiring sex workers after the incident.4NBC Miami. ShamWow Guy Is All Hookered Out
Shlomi’s Other Legal Matters
The 2009 Miami Beach arrest is the only criminal case in the reporting on Shlomi. His other legal history is civil. He sued the producers of There’s Something About Mary in 1998 for copyright infringement, alleging they copied scenes from his own film The Underground Comedy Movie.6Variety. Indie Scribe Files Copyright Suit Against About Mary He sued the Church of Scientology in 2004 after being expelled.7The Sydney Morning Herald. Rag to Riches: The Fall and Rise of the ShamWow Guy And in 2011, a former personal assistant, Jennifer Kosinski, sued him in federal court in Miami, alleging stalking, groping, and emotional abuse during her employment and seeking unpaid wages and attorney’s fees.8CBS News. Vince Shlomi ShamWow Pitchman Sued by a Former Employee None of these were criminal proceedings, and none resulted in jail time.