Joe Budden Charged With Lewdness: Breaking Down The Allegations

Joe Budden found himself in hot water as 2024 came to an end. Just before the New Year, reports emerged that Budden had been charged for an incident in New Jersey. Fans were both shocked and left in dismay after he was charged with lewdness. Budden has insisted that the charges he faces are being blown out of proportion and have nothing to do with weird behavior. Below, we dive into the latest allegations. 

According to TMZ, on December 4, 2024, at approximately 7:21 a.m., police reported a call from a neighbor in Budden’s apartment complex who said they saw him standing naked outside their door. The neighbor, who was with their two juvenile daughters then, claimed that their Ring camera captured footage of Budden attempting to enter a code on their door’s keypad. After several unsuccessful attempts, Budden reportedly returned to his own apartment across the hall. Joe Budden is expected to appear in court on January 16, 2025, per VICE. 

Nearly a month later, the charges began making their waves online. The online chatter prompted the Edgewater Police Department to issue a statement, that echoed the same statements as the TMZ report, and confirmed that Joe Budden was charged in the incident. “As a result Police investigation, BUDDEN was charged with Lewdness, 2C:14-4a (disorderly persons offense) on a complaint summons,” the statement from EDP’s Chief of Police Donald A. Martin read. “Chief Martin states that these charges are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”

The comments by Chief Martin rippled through social media, leaving fans and JPB listeners with plenty of questions. But for Joe, it felt like a deceitful effort by the Edgewater Police Department to gain headlines. “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,” Joe’s attorney, Nima Ameri, told TMZ. 

Ameri added that the “minor” charge itself didn’t even warrant an arrest in the first place. Therefore, Chief Martin’s decision to issue a public statement felt unprofessional to Budden and his attorney. “The allegations against Mr. Budden are a minor charge, not even resulting in an arrest,” the statement continues. “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.” Thus far, there hasn’t been a response from the department.

As the headlines made their rounds and people chimed in with their thoughts, Budden eventually issued a brief response. “Y’all so dramatic lol,” he tweeted. Later, he shared a photo of a shocked Jeff Teague showing someone his phone, which many believed was another response to the situation.

Fans have shared a few theories regarding this incident surrounding Budden, connecting the dots from previous episodes of his show. According to Vibe, the The Joe Budden Podcast co-hosts have filmed recent episodes at the home of his co-host Parks. Parks’ home previously served as their recording space before they began recording at Budden’s place. 

Moreover, Budden appeared to open up about this particular situation during a recent episode of his podcast–before the Chief’s statements. “I just sleptwalk somewhere that I shouldn’t have sleptwalked,” he said. “And you know how I sleep: butt-a** [naked]! Good naked sleepwalking, I just did it again [laughs].”