Rapper Lil Nas X arrested and hospitalised after wandering LA streets in underwear; overdose suspected

Los Angeles: Rapper Montero Lamar Hill, better known as Lil Nas X, was arrested and taken to hospital early Thursday after being found roaming Los Angeles streets wearing only his underwear and a pair of white cowboy boots, with police later suggesting a possible overdose.

Footage published by TMZ showed the ‘Old Town Road star’ walking along Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, speaking to a passerby who was filming him. The 25-year-old appeared almost unclothed as he paced the road median and at one point told the driver recording him: "Don't be late to the party tonight."

The video also captured the rapper theatrically interacting with the camera, at one stage demanding, "I wanna throw it far away so you never see it again. I don't like phones." He continued, "Didn't I tell you to put the phone down? Uh-oh, somebody's gonna have to pay for that," while wagging his finger. 

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, officers were called to the area shortly before dawn after receiving reports of a nude man in the street. An LAPD spokesperson told AFP that when officers arrived, the suspect ran at them and was taken into custody before being transported to a nearby hospital on suspicion of a drug overdose. He was also booked for battery on a police officer. The department did not officially confirm his identity, though multiple outlets reported it was Lil Nas X.

Photos published by TMZ showed the Grammy-winning rapper later placing an orange traffic cone on his head. His current condition has not been disclosed, and representatives for the musician have not yet commented.

The incident followed a string of unusual social media posts from the artist. Page Six reported that hours earlier, Lil Nas X uploaded 11 photos on Instagram, including images of his home in disarray, with artwork and furniture strewn about. In one selfie caption, he wrote: "OH NO sHES GONE MAD! CRAZY I TELL U!"

Net worth

Lil Nas X rose to international prominence in 2018 with his breakout country-rap single Old Town Road, which went on to become one of the longest-running No. 1 tracks in Billboard chart history.

In the wake of the latest incident, the rapper’s financial standing has also come under the spotlight. Multiple reports estimate his net worth at roughly $9 million, driven largely by the unprecedented success of Old Town Road. The track spent a record 19 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 and is believed to have generated around $14 million in pretax revenue from 1.8 billion streams in the United States.

(With inputs from AFP)