Podcaster and rapper Joe Budden has been charged with lewdness in New Jersey after his neighbor reportedly saw him naked on their doorbell camera trying to enter their apartment.
The alleged incident happened at an apartment complex in Edgewater around 7:21 a.m. on Dec. 4, and was first made public by police on Monday.
“The [doorbell camera] video depicted Budden attempting to enter a code into the door keypad several times before reentering his own residence across the hall,” read a press release from Edgewater Police Chief Donald Martin. “As a result of police investigation, Budden was charged with lewdness (disorderly persons offense) on a complaint summons.”
He’s due to appear in court on Jan. 16, according to Billboard.
An attorney for the 44-year-old entertainer expressed frustration with the police department, telling TMZ that Budden previously filed “possible felony charges against the persons behind these charges against him,” which they say should’ve been given consideration before the press release on Budden’s charges was made public by the cops.
“The allegations against Mr. Budden are a minor charge, not even resulting in an arrest,” his lawyer added. “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.”
The Edgewater Police Department has not returned a Daily News request for information.
Budden, who hosts a podcast bearing his name, has previously talked about being booted from his apartment for recording his podcast there, according to TMZ. He also recently spoke on his show about sleepwalking naked.
“I just sleptwalked somewhere I shouldn’t have sleptwalked,” he told his co-hosts around the time the alleged incident occurred. “Good naked sleepwalking. I just did it again.”
Budden is an East Harlem native whose family moved to the Garden State when he was a teenager. In 2003, he released the hit song called “Pump It Up,” which earned him a Grammy nomination for Best Male Rap Solo Performance. He previously performed with the hip-hop supergroup Slaughterhouse and appeared on VH1’s “Love & Hip Hop: New York.”
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