Nationwide — Rapper and podcaster Joe Budden was charged with lewdness after being caught naked on Ring Camera footage outside his neighbor’s apartment in Edgewater, New Jersey. Budden, who has previously spoken about his tendency to sleepwalk, is upset about the charge.
According to TMZ, the incident occurred on December 4th at 7:21am when police responded to a call from his neighbor. The caller reported seeing Budden naked and attempting to enter their door code before returning to his own apartment in the same building. The caller and their two daughters reportedly witnessed the incident live on their phone.
Budden, who has openly spoken about sleepwalking, recently shared tensions with neighbors, claiming he was kicked out of his apartment for recording podcast episodes.
His attorney, Nima Ameri, responded to the charges, claiming they were minor. He also called out the Edgewater Police Chief for releasing a press statement about the case, accusing him of using the incident to gain publicity.
“Mr. Budden is saddened by Police Chief Martin’s press release. Mr. Budden has been waiting weeks for his cross complaints to be processed which include substantially more serious charges include possible felony charges against the persons behind these charges against him. The Chief has in our opinion sat on those but instead used his time to gain some free publicity for himself. Chief Martin should seek publicity by doing notable policing not inflaming disorderly person allegations.”
Ameri also claimed the charges were racially motivated, pointing out that the department has not issued press releases for similar disorderly conduct cases this year.
Moreover, Budden is set to appear in court on January 16, 2025. Shortly after the news broke, Budden posted on X, saying, “Yall so dramatic lol.”
