Lil Nas X has had his fair share of controversy when it comes to the public, but things escalated into the realm of law and order when he was arrested last Thursday. After spending a few nights in the Los Angeles County jail, the 26-year-old rapper, whose real name is Montero Hill, is out on bail.
© GettyThe singer posted his $75k bail after attending court this morning and pleading not guilty to three counts of battery with injury on a police officer and one count of resisting an executive officer. He has a big-shot lawyer in his corner: Drew Findling, the powerhouse attorney who once criticized and then defended Donald Trump.
Trump hired Findling in 2022 to fight his election interference investigation in Georgia. Headlines then began to emerge about how, in the past, the attorney had less-than-favorable things to say about Trump online. Criticism aside, he took the case, but they parted ways in August 2023, and Trump replaced him with Steven Sadow.
© Getty.Findling, known as the "billion-dollar lawyer," has worked with music’s biggest names, including Gucci Mane and Cardi B.
In photos published to TMZ, Nas could be seen walking out in his jail blue jumpsuit. The singer was arrested naked, hence why he did not have his own clothing to change into. Nas did not talk to the camera, but ahead of his release, Findling did.
He told reporters how unusual it was to see someone with Nas’s level of fame with such a clean record. “Mr. Hill’s had an amazing career, 26 years old, never been in trouble. His accolades are unimaginable — how one person could have achieved so much in 26 years,” he said in a video published to TMZ. “We aren’t going to let one little event change the trajectory of his amazing life.”
The attorney added that his job is to figure out how something like this even happened. “Don’t forget he’s 26 years old. It's not unusual for something like this to happen, particularly when you have the pressure of being recognized internationally like him," he explained.
He pointed out that Nas’ family has been by his side, saying, “You can see how much his dad cares, his family cares. There’s been an outpouring of love and support for him.”
© GettyFindling also asked fans to show compassion instead of judgment: “As his dad said, 'pray for him,' think about him, root for him, cheer him on, and don't forget all the success that he had. Don’t judge someone by the worst moment in their life.”
He admitted there’s still no clarity on whether it was a mental health issue or a substance abuse issue. "Just know that we are going to do our very best to address those issues and have answers for you. It's impossible to have answers for you the first time walking out of court," he said, emphasizing, "This has to be his darkest day right now."
According to Page Six, the Los Angeles Superior Court judge ordered Hill to attend rehab meetings. The singer agreed.
What happened to Lil Nas X?
© GettyThe arrest itself has already turned the internet on its head. According to TMZ, police responded to a call at 6 a.m. about a nude man wandering Ventura Boulevard.
That man turned out to be Lil Nas X, who was seen in a now-viral video strutting down the street in nothing but cowboy boots and white underwear, at one point putting a traffic cone on his head.
As if that video wasn't bad enough, TMZ later got their mitts on a video of him completely nude, after ditching the boots and underwear. Which is how he was when the police got to him. Cops say he lunged at an officer, was subdued, hospitalized for a possible overdose, and then booked into the county jail.
A source told NBC News he allegedly “punched an officer twice in the face during the encounter."
