Freedom! George Michael Released Early From Prison

British pop star is a free man after serving out just four weeks of his eight-week drugs and driving sentence

Thank god George Michael's back catalog is so rife with ready-made wordplay for his recent string of troubles.

This week's too-easy-not-to-use pun (thank you, "Freedom"!) comes as the pop star is released from an English prison four weeks early—after serving just half of his sentence—on his drugged driving charges.

Sounds like someone could've used a better father figure. Yeah, he's made this way too easy on us...

The 47-year-old was handed an eight-week sentence just last month after copping to the fact that cannabis played a part in his car's collision with a photography store. Go figure.

While Michael began serving his sentence at England's Pentonville Prison, he was transferred to a different facility, Highpoint, after just a few days, where he served out the remainder of his sentence. He is still responsible for paying a nearly $2,000 fine and has been banned from driving for five years.

The former Wham! man, incidentally, served the absolute barest of minimums he could behind bars. During his sentencing last month, the judge was mindful of early release procedures and rather presciently ordered that Michael must serve at least half of his sentence. He was released after exactly four weeks.

And though media reports earlier this month speculated that Michael was being bullied behind bars, he issued a statement last week stressing that he had been "treated with kindness by fellow inmates and prison staff alike," had "not so much as a sleepless night," and received "no special treatment of any kind."

You know, other than serving only half his sentence.