Lil Nas X pleaded not guilty to four felony charges after allegedly assaulting officers who approached him while he was wandering Los Angeles streets in his underwear.
A judge set bail at $75,000 and ordered the “Old Town Road” rapper to enter an outpatient drug rehabilitation program. Police said they suspected he was under the influence of drugs during the incident.
Reports say the rapper was seen wandering through Los Angeles’ Studio City neighborhood, where a passerby recorded him on camera. He appeared in just underwear and boots, seemingly unstable due to an alleged overdose.
Later, witnesses spotted him completely nude, walking in the middle of the road. Footage published by TMZ shows him approaching a passing car while rapping lyrics from Kanye West’s song Monster.
However, his attorney, Christy O’Connor, argued there is no evidence the 26-year-old had been using drugs.
“This is just an aberrant episode in an otherwise productive life,” his attorney said.
The Grammy-winning artist faces three counts of battery against a police officer and one count of resisting arrest. Appearing in court dressed in blue prison attire, he answered “yes” when asked if he understood the bail conditions.
Openly Gay Country Star
Lil Nas X – born Montero Lamar Hill – made history as the first openly gay man to win a Country Music Association Award with his 2018 hit Old Town Road, which also earned him two Grammys. The song also broke the record for the longest-running number one song on the Billboard Hot 100, after 17 weeks at the top of the charts.
The response after he came out was mostly positive, but he faced some backlash from a homophobic crowd.
Outside the courthouse, his father, Robert Stafford, told reporters the singer was “very remorseful for what happened.”
“He’s going to get the help he needs,” Stafford said. “Just keep him in your prayers.”
