American rapper Lil Nas X’s father, Robert Stafford, has opened up about the pain of seeing his son behind bars after his shocking public breakdown in Los Angeles.
The Old Town Road star, 26, was arrested last week after stripping nude on a busy street and allegedly assaulting police officers. He reportedly spent four days in jail before being released.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, his father recalled breaking down when he first saw him behind the glass during a jail visit.
“I went to visit him in jail, and as soon as I walked through that door, I couldn’t do anything but cry,” Stafford said.
“To see my baby boy on the other side of that glass… we shed tears with each other for a minute.”
The heartbroken dad also revealed the emotional message Lil Nas X—born Montero Hill—asked him to share with the world.
“When I went to visit, he asked me to… ‘Tell everybody I’m sorry they saw me like that.’ Even in that moment, he was apologizing to people for something he was going through,” Stafford shared.
Despite the tough moment, the father comforted his son with words of encouragement.
“What you’re going through is normal. We all have breakdowns every now and then. The difference is, yours played out in the public eye,” he said.
Shortly after his release, Lil Nas X took to Instagram to reassure fans he was doing better.
“Your girl is gonna be OK, y’all,” he said in a short clip, adding that the days in jail were “terrifying,” but he was grateful to be out and ready to heal.
The rapper is now facing four felony charges, including three counts of battery with injury on a police officer.
