Rick Rubin Charged with Breaking Hawaii's COVID-19 Protocols for Walking Alone on an Empty Beach

The incident reportedly took place while the state was mandating a two-week quarantine for all off-island visitors.

Rick Rubin has been charged with breaking Hawaii's coronavirus protocols.

According to Kauai's The Garden Island, the producer was reported by an anonymous caller after being spotted walking alone on a deserted section of Anini beach near his resort. The incident reportedly took place on September 2nd, while the state was mandating a 14-day quarantine for all off-island visitors. The violation carries up to $5,000 in fines, as well as potential jail time, though it is unlikely he'll receive a maximum penalty. Rubin reportedly failed to show for his first court date on Wednesday, December 9th, but a defense attorney appealed to the state's Fifth District Court judge to waive the necessity of his appearance. Another court date has been set for February 9th, 2021, but it's unclear whether his presence will be necessary.

The charge is somewhat at odds with Hawaii's current stance on COVID-era travel. Earlier this week, the state announced it would offer free round-trip tickets to remote workers who wanted to live there for at least 30 days. However, it should be noted, the state currently ranks amongst the lowest in the country in transmission rate and case counts. The producer has yet to offer comment on his charge.

Rick Rubin is a noted resident of Malibu, CA, owning and running the famed Shangri-La Studios, which was recently the subject of a docu-series on Showtime. It featured appearances from Mac Miller, Tyler, The Creator, and more. Rubin also hosts the Broken Record podcast with author Malcolm Gladwell. On their latest episode, Pharrell called in to discuss the origins of The Neptunes, growing up in Virginia and discovering his synesthesia while listening to A Tribe Called Quest's debut album, People's Instinctive Travels and The Paths of Rhythm.