Cage The Elephant singer Matt Shultz reflects on 2023 arrest
Matt Shultz, the lead singer of Cage The Elephant, has discussed the “mental health crisis” he endured prior to his arrest in 2023.
In January 2023, Shultz found himself in legal trouble when he was arrested for the illegal possession of two loaded firearms. The incident unfolded shortly after an employee at the Bowery Hotel in Lower Manhattan allegedly witnessed him entering the ground floor public toilets while carrying a handgun.
According to the prosecution, Shultz was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident. When law enforcement officials arrived at his hotel room, they discovered two firearms along with a set of 11 Polaroid photographs. Some of these photos depicted the firearm that was allegedly carried by Shultz.
The frontman entered a guilty plea to three charges: attempted criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm, and criminal possession of a weapon. Despite the severity of the charges, he managed to close on a plea deal that spared him from jail time.
In a new post on his Instagram page, Shultz has opened up about the testing period, thanking his loved ones for their steadfast support. He wrote: “It’s a miracle that I’m here today. I was arrested last year, and it undoubtedly saved my life. After my arrest, I went to the hospital for two months, followed by months of outpatient treatment. I can finally explain what happened.”
“Over the last three years, I was unknowingly fighting my way through an utter mental health crisis. In a short time, I had slipped into psychosis due to an iatrogenic response to a medication I was prescribed,” Shultz added.
The Cage The Elephant frontman continued by attributing his resilience to the unwavering support and “unwavering love” of his friends, family, bandmates, and wife. He claimed the support “coupled with professional treatment, helped me to regain my grip on reality and fully recover.”
In January 2024, a year after his arrest, Cage The Elephant made a long-awaited comeback with their latest single, ‘Neon Pill’, the band’s first new music in five years, following their 2019 album, Social Cues.
Listen to ‘Neon Pill’ and read Shultz’s full social media post below.
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