Lil Nas X’s father is breaking his silence after his son’s recent arrest in Los Angeles.
The Grammy-winning artist — born Montero Lamar Hill — was taken into custody on Aug. 21 and later charged with four felonies after authorities alleged he charged at them while walking in his underwear down an LA street. He has since pleaded not guilty.
Now, the musician’s father, Robert Stafford, is opening up about the pressures his son has faced — and what he believes led to this moment.
“I understand how the music business is,” Stafford said in a Friday interview with The Times. “It’s like a high. When you get to that level, you want that drug again, you want to hit that high again.”
Lil Nas X poses with his father, Robert Stafford, during the Lil Nas X Homecoming Event at The Gathering Spot on Oct. 20, 2021, in Atlanta.
Paras Griffin via Getty Images
Stafford, who had his own gospel music career, spoke candidly about the emotional and financial weight his son has carried — from supporting his family to trying to sustain the momentum of his early success.
“For a 26-year-old to have to deal with what he’s dealing with — to be a breadwinner for a lot of people, the inability to change his mother’s situation and the pressure he puts on himself, that can weigh heavily on your heart,” he said.
Lil Nas X was released on $75,000 bail after spending several days in jail. But before his release, his father paid him a visit — one that left both men in tears, Stafford said.
“I went to visit him in jail, and as soon as I walked through that door, I couldn’t do anything but cry,” he recalled. “To see my baby boy on the other side of that glass. We shed tears with each other for a minute. And I had to tell him that ‘what you’re going through is normal.’ We all have breakdowns every now and then, but the difference is, yours get played out in the public eye.”
Lil Nas X attends Netflix’s premiere of “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F” at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, California, on June 20, 2024.
In court, the rapper’s attorney Christine O’Connor called the incident an anomaly.
“Assuming the allegations here are true, this is an absolute aberration in this person’s life. Nothing like this has ever happened to him,” she said.
Stafford added that his son is “sorry” people saw him in such a vulnerable moment.
On Aug. 26, Lil Nas X broke his silence and had a message for his fans.
“Your girl is gonna be okay, y’all. Okay. She’s gonna be all right. She’s gonna be all right. Shit,” he said in an Instagram Story. “That was fucking terrifying, that was terrifying, that was a terrifying last four days, but your girl’s gonna be all right.”
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for mental health support. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention.