Lil Nas X has been riding that ‘Old Town Road’ for years. From taking the world by storm to breaking records left and right. But now, his dad, Robert Stafford, is opening up about his son’s recent headline-making moment, making us wonder: after all the fame and the wild ride, can he keep riding, or is it time for a new path? Now, his father wants to clear the air and set the record straight.
RELATED: Lil Nas X Breaks His Silence After Entering Plea For Multiple Felonies Stemming From His Naked Stroll In L.A. (UPDATE)
Lil Nas X’s Dad Opens Up About His Son’s Arrest
Now, his father, Robert Stafford, is speaking out — and he’s opening up on his son’s “breakdown.” In an interview with The Times, Stafford painted a heartbreaking picture of a young star buckling under the weight of fame, personal trauma, and family pressure. “That’s not even him,” Stafford said after watching the viral footage.
“I went to visit him in jail and as soon as I walked through that door, I couldn’t do anything but cry,” Stafford revealed. “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’.” He also told the rapper, “We all have breakdowns every now and then, but the difference is, yours get played out in the public eye.”
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What Does His Father Really Think Is Going On?
Stafford also revealed the emotional toll of watching his son struggle to care for a mother battling addiction. In 2021, Hill’s mom was seen begging for food in Atlanta — a moment that went viral and clearly hit home. Despite Hill’s attempts to help, Stafford says she’s resisted rehab, and that pain still haunts him. “That can weigh heavily on your heart,” he said. And, while the world may have judged the arrest clip quickly, his father reminds us that being famous means even your darkest moments get turned into spectacle.
“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,” Stafford said of what Lil Nas X may be facing internally.
Why Exactly Is Lil Nas X Making Headlines?
Montero Hill, better known to the world as Lil Nas X, was once crowned the future of pop after the record-breaking success of ‘Old Town Road.’ But recently, the 26-year-old was arrested in Los Angeles after being found wandering the streets almost naked — just underwear and cowboy boots. And, he was reportedly in distress. Authorities say he injured a police officer during the encounter. Furthermore, he was hospitalized for a suspected overdose shortly after the incident.
Hill now faces three felony battery charges and one felony count of resisting an officer, with a possible sentence of up to five years if convicted. He’s currently out on a $75,000 bond and ordered to attend drug treatment.
“When I went to visit, he asked me to say, ‘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,” his father said.
