Killer Mike addresses his Grammy arrest

Outside of the Taylor Swift of it all, one of the biggest stories that came out of the 2024 Grammy Awards was the arrest of Killer Mike. Video of the rapper being detained shortly after winning three Grammys went viral on Sunday night; he was later released, but few details were made publicly available as to why he was arrested in the first place. Now, a source for Rolling Stone claims the arrest stemmed from an altercation with a security guard in the aftermath of his wins.

According to this source, the artist—real name Mike Render—was stopped by a guard who asked for his tickets and directed him to a security checkpoint. Render tried to move around her and she stopped him again, after which she alleged that Render pushed her to the ground. The security guard supposedly suffered injuries from the alleged assault and called in fellow security before contacting police. She then received medical treatment and signed a citizen’s arrest for misdemeanor battery.

That answers why law enforcement couldn’t wait until after the Grammys were over to handle the situation quietly: because “it was a private citizen, and she had everything she needed to exercise her rights to make a citizen’s arrest,” the source explained to the outlet. “And we are bound by law to make that arrest.”

As for Killer Mike, he denies the allegation. A source from his team told Rolling Stone that the “situation has been overblown, but we are confident that the facts of the case, when laid bare, will show that Mike did not commit the alleged offense, and he will be exonerated.”

In his own statement, Render said, “As you can imagine, there was a lot going and there was some confusion around which door my team and I should enter. We experienced an over-zealous security guard, but my team and I have the upmost [sic] confidence that I will ultimately be cleared of all wrongdoing.”

“We are incredibly proud and are basking in this moment,” he added in the wake of his awards. “I am also grateful that one of my prayers has been answered—the day after my Grammy win—I learned that my son, who has been on the list for a kidney for years, finally has a match. Obviously, we are elated.”