Tourists Arrested at LAX Over Bad-Taste Tweets About Marilyn Monroe

When packing for a trip overseas, it's probably best to leave any incriminating tweets behind.

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A pair of Los Angeles tourists from the U.K. learned this this hard way, after being arrested and detained at LAX for making questionable jokes on Twitter. Leigh Van Bryan and Emily Bunting were intercepted by American Homeland Security officials upon their arrival last week, after Van Bryan tweeted that he was going to "destroy America" and dig up Marilyn Monroe's grave.

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The tweets in question, spotted by authorities weeks before Van Bryan and Bunting's arrival, appear to have been made in jest. Read them here. Speaking with the U.K.'s The Sun, Bunting said: "We just wanted to have a  good time on holiday. That was all Leigh meant in his tweets."

The first post allegedly used the term "destroy" as British slang for partying, while the second quoted an episode of Family Guy. "3 weeks today, we're totally in LA pissing people off on Hollywood Blvd and diggin' Marilyn Monroe up!," it read.

Van Bryan, 26, and Bunting, 24, were held and questioned for five hours before being placed in jail for another 12 hours. Ultimately, they were flown back to London via Paris. Since the incident, Van Bryan has made his Twitter account available to followers only. If he ever hopes to return to the U.S., Van Bryan will need to apply for a visa.

"It's almost funny now," said Van Bryan. "But at the time it was really scary."