Rapper Lil Nas X was arrested and hospitalized early Thursday morning after a strange incident in Los Angeles that left many people shocked.
The 26-year-old artist, whose real name is Montero Lamar Hill, was found walking down Ventura Boulevard in Studio City wearing only white underwear and cowboy boots around 4 AM on August 21, 2025.
Video footage obtained by TMZ shows the Old Town Road singer walking in the middle of the street, pointing at passing cars and talking about heading to a party. At one point during the bizarre scene, he placed an orange traffic cone on his head. Several residents in the Studio City area called police after seeing what they described as a nude man walking in the road.
The situation took a serious turn when police officers arrived at the scene. According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Lil Nas X was hospitalized after attacking officers and walking the streets of LA nearly naked. When officers tried to approach him, the rapper charged at them, leading to his arrest. He was then placed in handcuffs and taken to a local hospital for treatment of a possible overdose.
Current legal status and charges
As of Thursday evening, Lil Nas X remains in custody at the Van Nuys jail. He has been booked for battery on a police officer following the incident. Law enforcement sources say he could still face additional charges, but for now, he is receiving medical treatment at the hospital.
The Grammy-winning artist, who rose to fame with his hit song Old Town Road, has been dealing with other health issues this year. In April, he revealed that he had been hospitalized after experiencing sudden facial paralysis, saying he had “lost control of the right side of [his] face.” The cause of that condition was never publicly revealed.
— Dom Lucre | Breaker of Narratives (@dom_lucre) August 21, 2025
BREAKING NEWS: Grammy award winning rapper Lil Nas X has been hospitalized after being spotted roaming nearly naked on the streets of Los Angeles at 4AM.
TMZ claims it could be a possible OD. This comes after Lil Nas X reportedly ‘ruined his career’ by intentionally and… pic.twitter.com/pyTHkFMKTo
Before Thursday’s incident, Lil Nas X had been active on social media but in an unusual way. He had wiped his Instagram account clean and then returned with strange posts, including photos of his apartment and himself in different costumes. He also shared snippets of what appeared to be unreleased music. The artist’s height and physical presence have always made him stand out, but this incident was far from his typical public appearances.
The rapper has been working on his upcoming album Dreamboy, which was expected to be released later this year. His most recent full-length project was 2021’s Montero, which followed the massive success of his breakthrough single Old Town Road and his mixtape 7. The incident comes at a time when many celebrities are facing legal troubles, showing how quickly fame can take unexpected turns.
