Grammy-winning rapper Lil Nas X has pleaded not guilty to charges of injuring police officers and resisting arrest, following an incident in Los Angeles last week that left three officers hurt.
The 26-year-old artist, born Montero Lamar Hill, faces three felony counts of battery on a police officer and one felony count of resisting arrest, BBC reported. If convicted, he could face up to five years in prison. He entered his plea Monday during an arraignment at a Los Angeles courthouse, where bail was set at $75,000.
Authorities said officers were called in the early hours of Thursday after reports of a naked man walking along Ventura Boulevard in Studio City. When police arrived, Hill allegedly charged at them. During the struggle to restrain him, three officers were injured. He was later taken to a hospital for a possible overdose before being booked into custody, where he remained through the weekend.
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said the attack on police was a matter of public safety, emphasizing that no one is exempt from facing legal consequences regardless of their fame.
Videos published by TMZ appear to show the rapper first dancing in white cowboy boots and underwear on a Los Angeles street, before later wandering completely naked. In one clip, he raps lyrics from Kanye West's "Monster" while approaching a passing car. The boots he abandoned were reportedly retrieved by a bystander and listed on eBay for $10,000.
The arrest comes as Hill prepares to release his second studio album, "Dreamboy," later this year and has recently teased new music on social media. He rose to fame in 2019 with "Old Town Road," which became the longest-running No. 1 single in Billboard Hot 100 history, spending 17 weeks at the top. The track earned him two Grammy Awards and made him the first openly gay man to win a Country Music Association award.
Lil Nas X has often stirred controversy with his bold artistic choices, most notably with the provocative video for "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)," which sparked backlash.
In response, he released a mock apology video that cut to a scene from the song itself, and saying online that he wanted his critics' tears to "fill my Grammy cup."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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