Lainie Kazan’s shoplifting arrest happened on Christmas Eve 2017, when the My Big Fat Greek Wedding actress was stopped leaving a Los Angeles-area Gelson’s supermarket with roughly $180 in unpaid groceries. She was cited for petty theft and released, denied the allegation through her attorney, and ultimately avoided criminal charges by completing a diversion program in early 2018.
What Happened at the Gelson’s
On December 24, 2017, a store employee at a Gelson’s in the San Fernando Valley stopped Kazan after she reportedly filled reusable bags and headed toward her car without paying. The items included Comet, Pledge, a hot rotisserie chicken, tomatoes, Jell-O, and uncured pepperoni. Police were called. She was arrested for petty theft, cited at a local station, and released without bail.1Page Six. Lainie Kazan Previously Suspected of Shoplifting2Newsday. Lainie Kazan Arrested for Shoplifting
Reporting after the arrest said Gelson’s had suspected Kazan of shoplifting on at least a couple of prior occasions. According to those accounts, security footage had shown her filling a basket and appearing to head for the checkout line before slipping out the door alongside other exiting customers.1Page Six. Lainie Kazan Previously Suspected of Shoplifting No charges were ever filed over those earlier suspicions.
Kazan’s Denial
Her attorney, Mark Werksman, called the incident “a misunderstanding by Gelson’s employees who did not give her the opportunity to pay for her groceries before detaining her,” and denied that she had ever left the store without paying in the past.3People. Lainie Kazan Didn’t Shoplift, Her Lawyer Says In a separate statement, Werksman said the store “overreacted” and predicted Kazan would be exonerated.4E! Online. Lainie Kazan’s Attorney Speaks Out About Her Arrest
How the Case Was Resolved
In January 2018, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office offered Kazan a resolution that kept the matter out of court. She agreed to participate in the Neighborhood Justice Program, a restorative justice diversion run by the City Attorney, on the condition that no criminal charges would be filed if she completed it.5New York Daily News. Lainie Kazan Reaches Deal After Shoplifting Arrest6TMZ. Lainie Kazan Deal for Petty Theft
The program is designed for first-time, non-violent offenders facing eligible misdemeanors like petty theft. Instead of appearing before a judge, participants meet with a panel of trained community volunteers who discuss the offense and its impact and then assign restorative obligations. Those can include community service, a letter of apology, restitution, or classes. Participants have eight weeks to complete the assignments. Finish, and no case is filed. Fail, and the matter goes back to the City Attorney for prosecution. The program reports a recidivism rate of about five percent among those who complete it.7City of Los Angeles City Attorney. Neighborhood Justice Program8City of Los Angeles City Attorney. Criminal Justice
No public reporting indicates Kazan failed to complete the program, and no criminal charges were subsequently filed. She left the episode without a court hearing and without a criminal record.