With intense scrutiny and surveillance, celebrities are under the watchful eyes of fans, haters and, at times, law enforcement. Especially when they are caught behaving badly and don't want to go down easily.
One of the most recent examples is Grammy Award-winning rapper Lil Nas X, who pleaded not guilty to four felony charges after he was found walking naked in the streets of Los Angeles. In a TimesLIVE report, the Call Me By Your Name hitmaker was charged with battery of a police officer and resisting arrest. His action could see him face up to five years in prison if convicted.
Here are other high-profile interactions between celebrities and law enforcement:
Offset and Cardi B
Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, best known as Cardi B, and her then-husband, rapper Kiari Kendrell Cephus, popularly known as Offset, made headlines when he was arrested at a Trump rally in 2021 after allegedly waving guns at protesters from his vehicle.
A video captured by an eyewitness shows Cardi B intervening in Offset's arrest and being apprehended as well. Offset was detained by Beverly Hills police but later released with no charges.
Travis Scott
Rapper Travis Scott, whose real name is Jacques Bermon Webster II, was involved in an altercation last year after being asked to leave a rental yacht in Miami Beach, Florida.
According to a report by the National Broadcasting Company, Scott overstayed his welcome on the yacht as he was required to leave at midnight. A body camera video from the law enforcement officer captured Scott yelling at the police captain. Scott said it was disrespectful for the captain to kick the door open while he was in the room with his friends.
Though Scott claimed he was sober, officers said they could smell alcohol on his breath. He was later arrested for disorderly intoxication and spent the night in jail, and was released after posting bond.
Khanya Mkangisa
In 2019, actress and digital entrepreneur Khanya Mkangisa found herself at the centre of a public controversy when a video surfaced showing her being taken into custody by law enforcement officers. The footage, which circulated widely on social media, appeared to depict Mkangisa engaging in a tense verbal altercation with a woman police officer. She faced charges related to common assault and driving under the influence.
The incident sparked a significant public reaction and as a result she claimed she lost major brand deals.
The Game and T.I.
Rappers “T.I.” Clifford Joseph Harris and “The Game”, Jayceon Terrell Taylor, were involved in a tense confrontation with Los Angeles police in 2024. The incident occurred outside a nightclub where the rappers mistakenly believed police had physically harmed their friends.
A video captured the intense standoff, showing T.I. and The Game, with their friends, approaching the officers. T.I. can be heard expressing his concerns and asserting their rights, saying, 'Y'all got a lot of people to beat up. We got good lawyers!'
According to Billboard, the two men who were harmed by the police were “mutual acquaintances” of the rappers who were denied entry into the club for unclear reasons and ended up being pummeled by several members of security. They were eventually taken to Los Angeles police's Hollywood division, but no charges were filed and they were released.
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