Actor Robert Downey Jr has been dropped from the hit TV show Ally McBeal following his arrest on drugs charges.
The 36-year-old was arrested near Los Angeles yesterday and held for several hours.
Within hours David E Kelley, the Emmy-winning producer of Ally McBeal, released a statement saying that the actor will not now continue in the series as was previously planned.
Downey won a Golden Globe Award for his role opposite Calista Flockhart. The introduction of his character - Ally McBeal's boyfriend - is credited with boosting ratings for the show.
