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Naked Bongo Incident Lands McConaughey in Jail
3 Feb
Summary
- Matthew McConaughey was arrested in 1999 at his Austin home.
- Police responded to a noise complaint about bongo drumming.
- He famously recreated the arrest for a tequila ad in 2025.

In 1999, actor Matthew McConaughey, then 29, was arrested at his Austin home after police responded to a noise complaint. Officers discovered the future Oscar winner dancing nude and playing the bongo drums.
He was initially charged with both a noise violation and marijuana possession. However, the drug charge was later dropped. McConaughey ultimately pleaded no contest to the remaining charges and was fined $50.
More recently, in 2025, McConaughey drew attention by staging a humorous recreation of the arrest. He starred in an advertisement for the tequila brand Pantalones, where his wife, Camila, recited the police report while he played the bongos.




