Joe Budden is speaking out about a December sleepwalking incident that led to accusations of lewdness, a police report, and a month-long civil trial. The podcast host addressed the situation on a recent episode of The Joe Budden Podcast, offering more insight into how the incident escalated and how he ultimately cleared his name in court.
Budden explained that the incident happened early one morning in his Edgewater, New Jersey, apartment building. As captured on his neighbor’s doorbell camera, Budden, 44, was seen naked in the hallway around 7 a.m., attempting to enter numbers on a keypad before walking back to his apartment. Budden says he was sleepwalking, a condition he’s dealt with for years, but his neighbors accused him of inappropriate behavior and called the police.
“My neighbors have been a problem for months,” Budden said. “They’ve complained about everything—noise, smells, even seeing Black people in shared spaces. One of them even told me, ‘You people will never change.’ This sleepwalking incident was just the latest thing they used to target me.”
The neighbors, whom Budden described as a “racist couple,” accused him of masturbating on their door and attempting to forcibly enter their home. Budden called these claims absurd, noting that the 10-second video showed no such behavior. “If I wanted to do that, I could find a million better places than someone’s door,” he joked.
Edgewater Police Chief Donald Martin issued a press release announcing Budden’s lewdness charge, a move that Budden’s attorney, Nima Ameri, called “inflammatory and slanderous.” Ameri accused the police department of racial bias, arguing that the announcement was unnecessary and unfairly prejudiced public opinion against Budden. “Had Mr. Budden not been a prominent Black voice, we do not believe such a press release would have been issued over these mediocre accusations,” Ameri said in a statement.
The matter quickly escalated into a civil trial after Budden’s neighbors filed additional claims, including stalking. Budden spent over a month in court defending himself.
During the trial, the judge reviewed the evidence, including the doorbell camera footage, and dismissed the neighbors’ allegations. “The judge ruled there was no intent to stalk or gratify myself,” Budden said. “I wasn’t trying to harm anyone. The video showed me shifting my weight as if I had to use the bathroom—not what they were claiming.”
Budden’s partner also testified in his defense, addressing claims about his behavior in the video. “They asked her if I was erect in the footage, and she said, ‘Absolutely not,’” Budden recalled with a laugh. “The trial was embarrassing, but the truth won out in the end.”
The judge ultimately sided with Budden, stating that there was no evidence to support the neighbors’ claims. She noted that Budden’s sleepwalking episode was a medical issue, not a criminal act.
While Budden was relieved to have the case resolved, he expressed frustration at how the situation unfolded. “This has been one of the most embarrassing and disappointing experiences of my life,” he said. “But at the end of the day, I’m a sleepwalker, not a stalker.”
Budden also filed cross-complaints against his neighbors for “substantially more serious charges,” though his attorney has not yet disclosed the specifics.
Despite the ordeal, Budden thanked his fans and supporters, who reached out to offer encouragement and even alternative spaces to record his podcast during the trial. “For all the hate out there, there’s so much love,” Budden said. “People really showed up for me in a tough time.”
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