In a case of love-gone-bad Hollywood-style, the 28-year-old actor has admitted in court to harassing ex-girlfriend Lili Taylor.
The thick-accented Rapaport, whose credits include Cop Land, Mighty Aphrodite, Beautiful Girls and Higher Learning, pleaded guilty to aggravated harassment in a New York courtroom Monday. He told the judge he called Taylor 21 times in four days after they split up. Then, on May 17, 1997, he showed up at Taylor's apartment at 1 a.m. and repeatedly banged on her window.
He was arrested the following day, after Taylor (Ransom, Short Cuts, Mystic Pizza), 30, complained to police that he ignored her requests to leave. She claimed Rapaport said he wanted "to get back with" her and that his actions left her "seriously annoyed."
New York Supreme Court Justice Arlene Goldberg issued a protection order that forces Rapaport to keep away from Taylor. Although he was spared jail time, the actor was ordered to seek counseling twice a month for a year.
If he violates any of the conditions, he could face up to a year behind bars.
"He has the greatest respect for Lili Taylor, and he's pleased to put this incident behind him," Rapaport's lawyer Paul Shechtman told Reuters.