Madonna’s Son Rocco Ritchie Arrested For Marijuana Possession

Madonna’s 16-year-old son, Rocco, was arrested in London for marijuana possession.

The arrest happened back on Sept. 28, but the public only recently became aware of the incident. According to IBTimes UK, neighbors called the police after they saw Ritchie sitting on a wall with friends in his Primrose Hill neighborhood “smoking or doing drugs.”

The Daily Mail reports that local police found a small amount of drugs on Ritchie. He was “taken to a north London police station. He was subsequently bailed and dealt with by Camden borough's Youth Offending Team” which “uses multiple strands to engage and educate young people in order to prevent re-offending.”

Apparently neighbors have been frustrated with Ritchie’s behavior for a while. They report that he often acts "suspiciously," but the incident with him smoking marijuana "was the final straw. Local residents are fed up with him acting in this manner and called the police.” However, others downplayed the incident, chalking it up to typical teenage behavior, saying, “Of course he smokes weed. They are young boys and we were all like that once.”

Earlier this year, Ritchie was at the center of a custody dispute between his mother and father, director Guy Ritchie. The custody battle lasted months, after Ritchie fled his mother’s Rebel Hearts tour and refused to travel with her. Ultimately, Guy Ritchie was awarded custody of Rocco, allowing the boy to live with him in London. Madonna had petitioned for custody in part because she felt Guy was “too permissive” with their son.

Guy has yet to speak publicly about the incident, but Madonna released a statement through the Associated Press in support of her son, saying, "I love my son very much. I will do whatever I can to give him the support that he needs, and I ask that you respect our privacy at this time." She referred to the incident as “a family matter.”

However, despite Madonna’s public support, Ritchie has made clear that he’s glad to be living with his father in London. On a recent Instagram video of Madonna and her two children Mercy and David participating in the “Mannequin Challenge,” Ritchie commented “So glad I don’t live here anymore,” according to UK newspaper The Mirror.