Lil Nas X Charged With Four Felonies in Los Angeles
Lil Nas X, born Montero Lamar Hill, has been charged with four felonies following an incident in Los Angeles that unfolded last week. Prosecutors announced on Monday, August 25, that the 26-year-old Grammy-winning artist is facing three counts of battery with injury on a police officer and one felony count of resisting an executive officer.
According to police, officers found Lil Nas X walking naked on Ventura Boulevard, a major thoroughfare in the Studio City neighborhood, shortly before 6 a.m. on Friday morning. Authorities say that when officers approached him, he charged at them, leading to his arrest. Initially, he was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor obstructing an officer, but prosecutors later filed the felony charges.
The Los Angeles district attorney’s office confirmed that the musician appeared in court on Monday and pleaded not guilty. Police said they suspected a possible overdose at the time of his arrest, which led them to first transport him to a hospital, where he spent several hours before being moved to jail. He has remained in custody since then, with bail set at $75,000 on the condition that he attend drug treatment. It has not yet been confirmed whether he has posted bail. The news of the charges was first reported by TMZ.
One of his attorneys, Christy O’Connor, stressed that the situation is highly out of character for the musician. “Assuming the allegations here are true, this is an absolute aberration in this person’s life,” O’Connor said in court, according to NBC, adding that Lil Nas X has lived a “remarkable” life that includes making history in the music industry and winning two Grammy Awards.
Since breaking through in 2018 with his chart-topping single Old Town Road, Lil Nas X has cemented himself as a cultural force. The song became a global sensation, spending a record 19 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. His debut album Montero (2021) further showcased his boundary-pushing artistry, debuting at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and earning a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year.
Beyond the music, Lil Nas X holds an especially important place in the LGBTQ+ community. As one of the most visible and outspoken out pop stars of his generation, he has consistently used his platform to celebrate queerness with unapologetic joy and defiance. His boldness has redefined representation in mainstream pop, where queer voices have too often been sidelined or muted.
This remains a developing story, and we will continue to update this piece as new details emerge.
Update (6:00 pm EDT): Lil Nas X has left jail after posting $75,000 bail, TMZ reports.
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