Lil Nas X Pleads Not Guilty On Felony Charges, Bail Set at $75,000
Lil Nas X pleaded not guilty to the four felony charges filed against him Monday morning during an arraignment hearing in Van Nuys, with his bail set for $75,000.
The rapper, whose real name is Montero Hill, was arrested on Thursday morning after he was seen roaming the streets of Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, nearly naked and seemingly delirious. At the time, he was booked on a misdemeanor of obstructing an officer and was jailed through the weekend at the Valley Jail in Van Nuys, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff records.
He’s been charged with battery and resisting a law enforcement officer. The former carries a sentence of up to one year in prison and a fine, both of which could be increased if an officer was injured, constituting a felony. After his arrest, the artist was taken to a hospital for a suspected overdose and was later discharged before being taken to a jail.
Speaking with reporters outside the courthouse Monday, Hill’s lawyer Drew Findling said Hill will pay bail and he expects Hill will be out of jail later today.
During the arraignment, Christy O’Connor, another attorney on Hill’s defense team, called the incident “an aberration in [Hill’s] life” noting that the rapper has no prior criminal history, and no previous history of violence. She disputed the police report suggestion that the incident was drug-related, stating it was too early and reports haven’t come back yet. The judge overseeing the arraignment Monday called for Hill to sign up for a drug treatment program.
“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,” Findling said. “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.”
When asked whether this was a substance or a medical or emotional issue, Findling said “there’s no way for us to know right now.”
“Anybody that has kids, you hear about things like this all the time,” Findling continued. “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.”
Findling said Monday not to “judge somebody by the worst moment in their life.”
Hill was first caught on camera by TMZ in the early hours of Thursday morning, strutting down a near-empty Ventura Boulevard, wearing nothing but underwear and a pair of white cowboy boots.
Lil Nas X, who released his Days Before Dreamboy EP back in March, has been struggling with health issues throughout 2025. Back in April, he shared an update on social media saying he’d suffered partial facial paralysis. A month later, he had to cancel a headlining appearance for West Hollywood’s Outloud pride music festival. At the time the cancellation was announced, the festival said in a statement that “we’ve been in close contact with Lil Nas X and his team regarding an ongoing medical issue.”
“After my recent hospital visit, I – like all of you should – must prioritize my health and getting back to 100%,” the rapper said in a statement at the time.
Hill’s father Robert Stafford gave a brief update following the arraignment as well, telling reporters that Hill is “doing great mentally” following the arrest.
“We said shed tears, we shed laughter, but he’s in great spirits,” Stafford said of his first conversation with his son after the arrest. “God is good all the time. Keep him in your prayers.”
