Didier Cohen's Diversion Program Revoked, Faces Trial in U.S.

Didier Cohen, known for his role on 'Australia's Next Top Model,' is back in custody in the United States and could face up to eight years in prison. Cohen's participation in a mental health diversion program, granted two months ago, has been revoked.

Cohen had been charged with multiple felony offenses, including allegedly assaulting his father and stepmother, kidnapping them, and making death threats. He had pleaded not guilty to all nine charges. The diversion program offered him a chance to have his record wiped clean if he stayed out of trouble, abstained from drugs, and attended rehabilitation for two years.

This week, Cohen was arrested for allegedly violating the terms of the diversion program. The exact nature of the violation has not been disclosed by prosecutors or his lawyer. Deputy LA District Attorney Frederick Engell confirmed Cohen is in custody and his diversion is suspended until a court appearance on December 3.

Cohen's attorney, Charlie Unger, suggested that Cohen struggled with the outpatient nature of the program, contrasting it with his positive experience in a previous residential rehabilitation setting. The judge who granted the diversion, Andrea Thompson, previously issued a warrant for Cohen's arrest for failing to appear at a progress hearing, leading to his current detention.

If the diversion program is permanently revoked, Cohen will face trial on the original charges. His previous arrest in June of last year followed allegations of breaking into his father's Malibu home, assaulting his father and stepmother, and threatening their lives. Prosecutors had opposed the diversion program, citing the severity of the alleged crimes, but Cohen's lawyer successfully argued for it, citing a mental disorder.

Judge Thompson had ordered a psychiatric evaluation, and based on expert opinions and input from the victims, ruled Cohen eligible for the two-year diversion program in August. The program required him to undergo outpatient treatment, refrain from possessing weapons, not harass his father or stepmother, and avoid illegal drugs. The judge had warned that non-compliance, including missed appointments, medication refusal, or failed drug tests, would lead to the revocation of the diversion and a return to trial.

While the judge's order indicates the diversion is revoked, Unger expressed hope that the judge would reinstate the program at the December 3 hearing and transfer Cohen to a residential treatment facility, believing more intensive, live-in care is necessary.