Rapper Lil Baby released from police custody in Paris and ordered to pay drug fine

Lil Baby, the American rapper, and another man have been released from police custody in Paris after they were arrested on charges of transporting drugs, the city prosecutor's office told CBS News on Friday. Both men were "issued a criminal order to pay a fine for drug use," the prosecutor's office said.

Lil Baby, 26, whose real name is Dominique Jones, has been attending Paris Fashion Week events with NBA star James Harden. A viral video apparently taken by bystanders showed several police officers questioning Harden and another man. Harden can be heard saying, "I don't understand."

The prosecutor's office said Harden, 31, was "not arrested nor placed in custody" and declined to comment further, citing the ongoing investigation.

French newspaper Le Parisien reported that police said they checked a vehicle that smelled like cannabis around 4:30 p.m. local time. Later, police shared the video on Twitter and said the search of the vehicle was justified.

On Friday, Lil Baby commented on his release. "Thank You To Everyone Who (Checked) On Me !! I'm Good," he said on Instagram. "I'm (On The Way) To The States To Rock My Show At The Pavilion At Pan Am In Indianapolis!! Let's Gooooooo"

Lil Baby and James Harden arriving at a Balenciaga event on July 7, 2021, in Paris. Pierre Suu/GC Images

The Atlanta-born rapper is a three-time Grammy-nominated artist and has been spending the week with Harden in Paris. The stars were photographed together on Wednesday arriving at a Balenciaga event and Harden has a producer credit on Lil Baby's latest record "Voice of the Hero." 

In January, Lil Baby spoke about their friendship to Billboard. "He got a real ear for music," he said of Harden. "That's how me and him linked on another level. He really into music."

f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.