Jason Mitchell is making headlines again. The actor, best known for his roles in Straight Outta Compton and Showtime’s The Chi, was arrested Wednesday in Mississippi on drug and felony weapons charges.
TMZ reports that the New Orleans native was pulled over for a traffic stop when authorities allegedly found drugs and guns on the actor’s GMC Yukon. Police claim the actor was found in possession of 1,300 doses of MDMA (known as ecstasy or Molly) and two pounds of weed, which “were packaged in a manner consistent with mid-level distribution.” The actor was also caught with a semi-automatic gun and a Glock 19.
Mitchell was reportedly booked in Harris County Jail and is facing four felony charges—two for possession of a weapon by a felon, and two for possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute.
The actor’s rep told TMZ that this was a “misunderstanding.”
“Jason is at home with his family right now, working on an amazing new project,” the rep continued. “News stories move fast and oftentimes without all of the facts. This misunderstanding will be resolved shortly. We trust that the court systems’ blind justice will protect Jason’s rights and allow him to tell his story.”
While Mitchell’s camp didn’t get offer specific details about the incident, the rep did add, “During the pandemic it’s best we focus on the importance of our nation growing back to our full capacity.”
Last year, the Mudbound star was dropped from The Chi, created by Lena Waithe, following allegations of sexual misconduct by co-star Tiffany Boone. Things got so bad on set that Boone’s fiancé Marque Richardson (Dear White People) visited the set when Boone and Mitchell shot scenes together. Subsequently, Mitchell was dropped from Netflix’s Desperados before filming began.
Mitchell claimed that accusations made by Boone were false in an interview on The Breakfast Club last November.
“Had me and Tiffany ever had a situation where, I don’t know, if she might have felt sexually harassed, I can bet my bottom dollar that she would have told me about myself in that moment,” he said, alleging that the real reason Boone left the show was because “she got to a better job basically, you know. She put in two seasons with us and she moved on to get a better job.”