Dear Out readers, it's been a very difficult week for Lil Nas X.
The singer, whose real name is Montero Hill, was arrested in the early morning of August 21 after several people called the police to report that a naked man was walking in the middle of the street in the Studio City area of Los Angeles.
When police got there, they say Lil Nas X charged at them and punched an officer in the face several times. They then threw him to the ground, handcuffed him, and forcibly hospitalized him.
Now, Lil Nas X has been charged with four felonies, three counts of battery on an officer, and one count of resisting arrest. If convicted, he could face serious prison time.
Lil Nas X has pleaded not guilty and is currently out on bail.
Yesterday, he posted his first update since the arrest.
"Your girl is gonna be OK, y'all. OK? She's going to be all right; she's gonna be all right," he says in the video. "Shit. That was fucking terrifying. That was terrifying. That was a terrifying last four days. But your girl is gonna be all right."
His father, Robert Stafford, has also commented, saying that his son is "doing great mentally" and is "very remorseful for what happened."
Unfortunately, as a Black gay man, Lil Nas X was put in a perilous situation by the police. When it comes to Black people, mental illness is often criminalized.
"Black people are more likely to have police involvement in their admissions to hospital and more likely to be detained and to receive secure care. They are more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia and more likely to be given higher doses of medication. They are less likely to receive psychotherapy," wrote Dr. Nuwan Dissanayaka in a post for the Centre for Mental Health, a U.K.-based nonprofit.
We'll keep updating this story as new information comes out.
Keep reading to find out our Woman Crush Wednesday, as well as all the best pop culture news.
- Mey Rude
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