Amy Winehouse charged in alleged theater assault

FILE -- In this Feb. 20, 2008, file photo, Amy Winehouse performs at the Brit Awards 2008 in London. Winehouse, 26, has been charged by police in Milton Keynes, England, Wednesday Dec. 23, 2009, in connection with an assault at a theatre in the town on Dec.19. The singer was arrested after she attended Milton Keynes police station voluntarily with her legal adviser. [Agencies]

LONDON – Singer Amy Winehouse was charged Wednesday in connection with an assault at a theater, police said.

The 26-year-old soul diva was arrested after she presented herself at a police station with her lawyer, Thames Valley Police said in a statement.

She is free on bail and must appear in court on Jan. 20.

Police did not provide details on the incident, but British media have reported that the singer allegedly struggled with a member of the theater's staff after heckling at a performance.

Winehouse was acquitted earlier this year of assaulting a fan who asked to take her picture, after a judge said he could not be sure whether she lashed out at the woman deliberately. Prosecutors said Winehouse was drunk when she punched the woman in the eye, but the singer said she had merely acted to fend away an over-friendly fan.

Winehouse shot to international stardom with the Grammy-winning album "Back to Black" in 2006, but her music has been overshadowed by reports of drug use, run-ins with the law and a tempestuous marriage.