Matthew McConaughey recently released an advertisement that pays homage to a peculiar arrest at his home, where officers found him naked and playing the bongos.
Known for his charming persona, McConaughey is a familiar and well-liked figure in Hollywood. Despite his popularity, the 55-year-old actor has had his share of unusual encounters with law enforcement.
On October 25, 1999, the police responded to complaints from his neighbors about loud music emanating from his house at 2:30 a.m. Upon entering, they discovered McConaughey unclothed and engrossed in playing the bongo drums.
He was taken into custody and booked at the Travis County Jail around 3 a.m., facing charges of ‘possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and resisting transportation.’
Recently, McConaughey shared a tongue-in-cheek tribute to this incident on his Instagram, through an advert for his Pantalones Organic Tequila brand.
In the video, his wife, Camila Alves, humorously recites the police report of his arrest. She begins with, “On the 25th day of October…”
McConaughey chimes in to complete her sentence, adding ‘at 2:36 in the am,’ while playing the bongos, though clothed this time.
Alves continues, “On arrival to the location, I could easily hear very loud music, dancing and playing bongo drums.”
“The nude subject yelled: ‘Why are you here? You can’t be in here’, glassy and very bloodshot eyes,” she adds.
Alves laughs, imagining the situation vividly, while McConaughey jokes that it has happened 45 times since.
Remarkably, this isn’t the first time McConaughey has shared details about the incident.
In his 2020 memoir, “Greenlights,” the actor offers an entertaining account of the events.
He recounts that before his arrest, he had been partying for 32 hours straight and decided to continue the revelry at home.
He writes, “It was time to smoke a bowl and listen to the beautiful African melodic beats of Henri Dikongué play through my home speaker.”
“It was time to stand over my drum set and follow the rhythm of the blues before they got to Memphis, on my favorite Afro-Cuban drum. It was time for a jam session.”
McConaughey reveals that he was unaware of the police presence until they entered his house, subdued him with nightsticks, handcuffed, and pinned him down.
He describes his charge of ‘resisting transportation’ with a humorous anecdote about how he considered an acrobatic escape while handcuffed.
He writes, “My rationale at the time was that after pulling off such an extraordinary Houdini-like stunt, the officers would be so impressed that they would abrogate the arrest and set me free. I know, stupid, but remember, I’d been celebrating for 32 and a half hours straight.”
Ultimately, the situation didn’t escalate further, as McConaughey pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges and received a $50 fine. Alright, alright.