London Testifies He Tried To Negotiate With Alleged Kidnapper

Actor Jeremy London testified today that three people tried to force him into the trunk of his rental car at gunpoint in Palm Springs, but he bargained with the trio, telling them that he would buy them alcohol.

The 37-year-old actor, known for his roles in the television dramas “Party of Five” and “7th Heaven,” took the stand at a preliminary hearing for Brandon Adams, 27, the only defendant to be charged in the case.

London, a Los Angeles area resident who was in town June 10 to visit his estranged wife and son, testified that his day went awry when he got a flat tire.

He said he and his wife had both taken Ambien, a prescription sleep aid, and were on their way to the Palm Court Inn, where they planned to take a nap, when the Ford Focus became disabled near a convenience store.

He said Adams and another man, who turned out to be the defendant’s uncle, approached and offered to help him fix the flat.

“They were almost aggressive in insisting that they help,” London said, adding that the men then asked for a ride home.

“They said it was very close … These guys helped me change a tire in really hot weather, so I thought sure, I’d give them a ride home,” London said.

He said he dropped off the uncle, but Adams stayed in the car, and his wife asked to be taken to her Palm Springs home.

After dropping her off, Adams took him on a “goose chase” through parts of Palm Springs until two others — an unidentified teen and a man known only as Little N — got into the car, London said.

“We just weren’t getting to a location. I was starting to shake, getting scared,” he said.

The actor said he was directed to pull into the driveway of a seemingly abandoned home, then Little N pulled out a gun and robbed him of $200 from his wallet and $600 he had in an envelope.

He said the men threatened to kill him, his wife and son.

Little N “told me to get in the trunk,” London testified. ” … I said, `I can buy you guys things on my credit card.”‘

London said he made the offer because “I didn’t want to get in the trunk. … There was a gun to my head. I thought I was never going to see my son again.”

The actor said they went to a liquor store, and he bought them $150 worth of alcohol. They all then went to a street party, where the trio handed out the booze through the car’s windows.

Later, the men used London’s money to buy drugs, and he was forced to take Ecstasy, the actor said.

“(Little N) threw the pill at me,” London said. “He said, `Take that.”‘

The actor said he took the pill because he was scared. Throughout the night, he also swallowed an unknown pill and smoked a substance through a glass pipe, which made him feel “like a horse kicked me in the head,” he said.

“I was trying to just blend in. I was doing my best to make them think I wasn’t scared,” he said.

At one point, he said, Little N joked that the whole night was a joke.

“He said, `Ah man, I’m just playing. This isn’t real,”‘ London testified, adding that the man held up the gun and threw him his iPhone.

London said he escaped several hours later when he got word to a woman that he needed help.

“I mouthed `help me’ to her. She looked at Brandon and said, `Oh no, white boy. You get in my house right now.”‘

London said the woman found a ride for him back to his hotel, and he walked across the street to the Ramada Palm Springs and someone called police.

London said he entered drug rehab in September 2009 because he had a problem with painkillers. He also said he accepted $40,000 to take part in the reality show “Celebrity Rehab,” where he claims he was not treated for drug abuse.

“I checked in for the stress, the post-traumatic stress,” London said, testifying that he was “clean” when he checked in.

Deputy District Attorney Jake Silva asked London if he received payment for telling his story to the media following the Palm Springs incident.

“No. Absolutely not,” the actor replied.

Under cross-examination by Deputy Public Defender Greg Geist, London admitted using marijuana and trying cocaine and Ecstasy when partying in his 20s, but denied any recent drug use.

He also denied asking Adams and his uncle for some drugs after they helped him change the tire.

Adams is charged with carjacking, kidnapping, robbery, taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent and receiving stolen property, along with a sentence-enhancing allegation that he used a firearm.

Adams has denied the allegations in interviews, claiming the men took a joyride and partied for hours with a willing London.

The actor’s twin brother and other family members publicly said they doubted the recovering addict’s story. London countered in media interviews that he did not make up the account and believes his acting skills helped get him through the ordeal.

Adams is being held in lieu of $500,000 bond at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.