Lil Nas X Pleads Not Guilty To Felony Assault, Leaves Jail After Posting Bail

Rapper Lil Nas X has pleaded not guilty to four felony charges, including three counts of battery with injury on a police officer and one count of resisting an executive officer, after he was arrested last week while wandering the streets of Los Angeles in his underwear.

The 26-year-old recording artist, whose legal name is Montero Hill, was released from jail after posting $75,000 bail on Monday. He spent the weekend locked up after being arrested on Thursday, per an update from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, and now has a hearing scheduled for September 15.

“Attacking police officers is more than just a crime against those individuals but a direct threat to public safety,” Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said. “Anyone who assaults law enforcement will face serious consequences, no matter who they are or how famous they may be.”

The “Old Town Road” singer is also being required to attend Narcotics Anonymous meetings four times per week, as it’s suspected he was under the influence of drugs when the incident occurred. 

The news release provided details about Hill’s arrest, noting how law enforcement was dispatched after being told the rapper was wandering Ventura Avenue in Studio City in his underwear just before 6 a.m. Hill proceeded to physically assault the responding officers and injured three of them, according to police.

If convicted on all charges, Lil Nas X could face up to five years in prison.

The rapper’s attorney, Christy O’Connor, defended her client, calling the allegations “an absolute aberration in his life.”

“Nothing like this has ever happened to him,” she added.

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“He’s never been in trouble for a split second in his existence, we’re not going to let one little event change the trajectory of his amazing life,” another member of Hill’s legal team, Drew Findling, told The Hollywood Reporter. 

“There’s no way to have a sense of what happened this immediately, but we’re going to look into it and do the right thing,” he said. “Anybody that has kids, you hear about things like this all the time. 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.”

The Atlanta-born recording artist burst onto the scene with viral hits like “Old Town Road” and “Industry Baby,” but quickly became controversial due to his provocative routines, which often included satanic imagery and messaging. 

In 2021, he promoted 666 pairs of limited-edition ‘Satan Shoes’—unauthorized Nike Air Max 97s released alongside the Satan-themed hit “Montero.” That same year, Lil Nas X gave an over-the-top, sexually explicit performance of the song during the season finale of NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.”