Arrested with
Robert Mitchum on August 31, 1948, for possession of marijuana, she served sixty days in jail and was placed on probation for five years. It was predicted that she and Mitchum would never work again, but in fact, Mitchum's career rebounded, and he became more popular than ever. Leeds, on the other hand, found it difficult to secure roles, and with her finances depleted, she eventually agreed to star in the exploitation film
Erva do Diabo (1949), but it did not reignite her career or decrease her notoriety. She was once engaged to
Stephen Crane, but he called it off and sought to distance himself from Leeds following her arrest for drug possession. She later claimed that while serving prison time, she was introduced to heroin by other inmates, and soon became addicted to the drug.
