Reality television personality Melissa Rycroft was arrested in Texas on Sunday on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, after police said her vehicle struck a parked ambulance in a hit-and-run.
The 43-year-old was taken into custody months after pleading guilty to a separate DWI charge in August. That case stemmed from a September 2025 incident and resulted in a 20-month probation sentence.
Southlake police told The Daily Mail that officers were called shortly before 5:50 p.m. Saturday following reports that a vehicle had hit an ambulance stopped at a stop sign before leaving the scene.
No injuries were reported. Officers later located the suspected driver and identified her as Rycroft, who was taken to the Keller Regional Detention Facility for processing.
The Dallas-born star, known for appearances on The Bachelor and Dancing with the Stars, remained in custody Sunday at the Tarrant County Corrections Center, according to jail records reviewed by The Daily Mail.
The Daily Mail contacted Rycroft, her attorney Bret Martin and the Tarrant County District Clerk’s Office seeking additional comment.
The Bachelor alum Melissa Rycroft, 43, was arrested Sunday on suspicion of DWI in Texas, months after pleading guilty to a DWI charge connected to a September 2025 incident
Rycroft, a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader, was booked by the Southlake Police Department on a second-degree DWI charge, which carries a $7,500 bond, according to court records.
She also faces allegations of driving with a prior conviction or suspension without financial responsibility, a charge with a $500 bond, and causing a collision involving at least $200 in vehicle damage, which carries a $1,000 bond, the records state.
In August, Rycroft pleaded guilty in connection with her September 23, 2025 DWI arrest.
After a follower offered support in a message in October 2025, Rycroft responded: ‘Life really sucks right now and I’m struggling, but I’m trying to march forward…but thank you for the sweet words in what seems like a world of negativity.’
As part of the August 2026 plea agreement, Rycroft avoided a possible 280-day jail sentence. She was instead ordered to pay $2,087 in fines and complete 20 months of probation.
According to records reviewed by Us Weekly, the agreement also required Rycroft to complete 36 hours of community service and attend a DWI education course.
The court ordered her not to ‘consume or possess any alcoholic beverages’ and to ‘abstain from illegal use, possession, or sale of controlled substances, marijuana or cannabinoids,’ according to the records.
Rycroft further agreed to pay for ‘non-dilute urine samples for testing for controlled substances and cannabis as directed by the court’ and to drive a vehicle equipped with a ‘camera equipped ignition interlock device,’ the records indicate.
Rycroft is shown in a mug shot following her September 23, 2025 DWI arrest
Rycroft attended an event in New York City in February 2015
Rycroft first gained widespread attention on season 13 of The Bachelor in 2009
Following her September 2025 arrest, attorney Bret Martin issued a statement to Entertainment Weekly emphasizing the presumption of innocence.
‘I want to remind the public of the fundamental principle of our justice system… every individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty,’ Martin said.
‘We, as a society, have gotten completely away from this fundamental concept. My client was arrested on the allegation of driving while intoxicated. An arrest is no indication of guilt.’
Rycroft became widely known after appearing on the 13th season of The Bachelor in 2009. She became engaged to Jason Mesnick on the show, but the relationship ended soon afterward.
She later reunited with Tye Strickland, and the couple married in December 2009.
Rycroft and Strickland have three children: Ava Grace, 15, Beckett Thomas, 12, and Cayson Jack, 10.
She also competed on the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars in 2009 before returning for the show’s All-Stars edition in 2012.
