Remember When Kid Rock Got Arrested for Punching a Strip Club DJ?
Kid Rock performs for military men and women as part of a United Service Organization (USO) show on board Camp Phoenix, 2007. Photo courtesy of U.S. Marines Corps Staff Sgt. Luis P. Valdespino Jr. Public domain.
Kid Rock, whose real name is Bob Ritchie, has had a number of run-ins with the law over the years. One of the most famous incidents happened when he was arrested for punching a man at a Waffle House® at 5 a.m. after a concert. But perhaps the wildest story of all comes from an event at a strip club in Nashville in 2005. This incident may be the most "Kid Rock" moment of his career, showing off his rebellious, wild personality that he's known for both on stage and in his personal life.
Strip Club Scuffle
Kid Rock was enjoying the height of his popularity in 2005 and, on the night in question, he was in Nashville for a special event — a tribute to the legendary songwriter Merle Kilgore at the Ryman Auditorium. After the tribute, Kid Rock and his group decided to unwind at Christie's Cabaret, a popular strip club in Music City. While at the club, things quickly took a turn when Kid Rock became unhappy with the music the DJ, 30-year-old Jerry Campos, was playing. According to reports, there was some sort of disagreement between Rock's group and the DJ. Kid Rock and his crew believed that Campos had insulted them in some way, and in the heat of the moment, Kid Rock took things a step further. He allegedly punched Campos in the face, turning what started as a night of partying into a dramatic confrontation.
Kid Rock performs for service members during a United Services Organization tour at the Jordan-Hare Stadium, Al Asad Airbase, Iraq, 2008. Photo by Spc. Kiyoshi Freeman. Public domain.
Police in Pursuit
Then Kid Rock apparently moved the party to another club. When police started looking for him, he slipped out the back door and headed to an apartment near Vanderbilt University. But the wild night didn't stop there. On his way back, Kid Rock was pulled over by a Vanderbilt police officer for spinning the tires of his Corvette. The officer said he could smell alcohol on Kid Rock, but instead of giving him a sobriety test, he let him go with just a warning — and even asked for his autograph! (The officer was later fired for this.) However, the police investigating the earlier incident eventually caught up with Kid Rock. Around 7 a.m., they arrested him for simple assault, a misdemeanor that could have meant up to a year in jail. When they took him into custody, Kid Rock gave an unexpected reason for why he had run away earlier: he wanted to sober up before facing jail time.
'A Beautiful Night'
Kid Rock was released from jail on $3,000 bail. As he was leaving, he was approached by reporters, and with his typical confidence, he smiled and said, "Everything is wonderful. It was a beautiful night," as reported by Whiskey Riff. Despite the serious nature of the incident, Kid Rock later chose to plead no contest to the assault charge. As a result, he was given a suspended sentence of one year in jail. This meant he didn't have to serve time behind bars unless he broke the terms of his sentence. In addition to this, Kid Rock was ordered to attend an anger management class to help him manage his emotions better in the future. He was also required to buy new glasses for Campos, which Kid Rock had allegedly broken during the altercation.
Legal Issues
But the saga was not over. Campos decided to file a lawsuit against Kid Rock, even though he didn't seem to have any serious injuries. In the lawsuit, Campos asked for $75,000 in compensatory damages and $500,000 in punitive damages. He claimed the assault caused him to experience a "loss of enjoyment of life," as reported by Whiskey Riff. This lawsuit was dismissed, and Campos refiled in 2010. The lawsuit was eventually settled in 2013, but the exact amount of the settlement was never made public.
Kid Rock's 2005 assault charge was a major moment in his career. He faced legal consequences, including a lawsuit from the DJ involved. Though he didn't serve jail time, he had to attend anger management classes and settle the lawsuit. The incident became one of the many wild stories that added to Kid Rock's reputation for living life on the edge, showing that the rock star lifestyle sometimes leads to serious consequences.
References: The Wild Story of Kid Rock's Arrest for Punching a Nashville Strip Club DJ for Playing Music He Didn't Like | Kid Rock Sued by DJ Over Nashville Strip Club Assault | Deejay Refiles Claim Against Kid Rock
