The Weeknd Avoids Jail Time For Punching a Cop

The Weeknd has spent much of the last half-decade establishing himself as a sort of cult figure, a delightfully profane R&B anti-hero who has too much time on his hands and not enough doctor's appointments. His first three mixtapes, later collected as Trilogy, constructed a bleak, debaucherous Toronto led by a guy too mean to cross over. His 2013 retail debut, Kiss Land, seemed to confirm this when it was met with tepid reviews. So fans and observers have watched with fascination this year as Abel has moved fully into the pop sphere, becoming one of music's biggest stars in the process. Beauty Behind the Madness sold over 325,000 copies in its first week, easily topping the Billboard charts; soon, the entire album was charting on the singles side. But neither of those things cement a person's stardom as much as the next sentence: The Weeknd will not be going to jail for punching that cop in Vegas.

According to TMZ, the singer's no-contest plea means that he won't do any time after punching a police officer in Las Vegas back in January. Instead, Abel will dole out $1,000 to a fund for injured police officers, undergo an alcohol evaluation, complete an undisclosed number of anger management classes and contribute 50 hours of community service. The Nevada judge is allowing the Weeknd to complete those hours at a non-profit group in Canada, so long as they're properly documented.