Joe Budden has been charged with lewdness after allegedly standing outside his neighbor’s property while naked.
Edgewater Police Department in New Jersey confirmed in a press release that the rapper-turned-podcaster was charged earlier this month over the alleged incident.
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Budden is accused of standing outside his neighbor’s apartment door “completely naked” in the early hours of December 4 and “attempting to enter a code into the door keypad several times before reentering his own residence across the hall,” according to police.
His bizarre behavior was allegedly captured on the neighbor’s doorbell camera and was watched live by the resident and their two juvenile daughters on a phone.
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Budden was subsequently charged with lewdness (disorderly persons offense), although the press release notes that “these charges are merely accusations and and that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
In response, Budden’s lawyer Nima Ameri told TMZ that his client is disappointed by the charges being made public and that he is pursuing his own legal action against the neighbor.
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“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,” Ameri said.
“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.”
The attorney further accused Edgewater Police chief Donald A. Martin of racism: “The allegations against Mr. Budden are a minor charge, not even resulting in an arrest. A charge Mr. Budden is looking forward to beating in court on the merits, not in the press. The Chief’s comments are reckless, and in our opinion racially motivated.
“Our research has not shown a single press release on a disorderly person charge on the police website this year. His choice to single out Mr. Budden in our opinion is self motivated and based off of Mr. Budden’s race and celebrity status.”
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Budden himself has yet to publicly comment, but he has spoken about his issues with his neighbors on his eponymous podcast, claiming that he was kicked out of his apartment for recording episodes of his show there.
He also appeared to reference the incident in question in a recent episode, blaming it on his tendency to sleepwalk.
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“I just sleptwalk somewhere that I shouldn’t have sleptwalked,” he said. “And you know how I sleep: butt-ass [naked]! Good naked sleepwalking, I just did it again [laughs].”
