Rapper-turned-actor Method Man is accused of assaulting another man at a Staten Island gym on Thursday morning. Local law enforcement sources told the New York Post that Method Man, born Clifford Smith, Jr., repeatedly punched the man in the face “with a closed fist” at Crunch Fitness.
The victim reportedly dated Method Man’s daughter over ten years ago, sources say. An employee at Crunch Fitness called police when Meth started throwing hands.
Method Man, 53, is physically fit and he often posts videos of his strenuous workouts on Instagram. The 28-year-old victim was quickly overpowered.
The victim complained of facial pain and dizziness, but he refused medical attention at Crunch Fitness. The Wu-Tang Clan rapper was reportedly not arrested.
A spokesperson for Method Man tells Billboard: “Mr. Smith categorically denies the allegations as reported and has not been the subject of an arrest by any law enforcement agency.”
Meth was pictured on the September 2023 cover of Men’s Health magazine’s “Hip-Hop Is Life” issue alongside fellow rappers Busta Rhymes (left) and 50 Cent (right).
Inside the issue Meth revealed his lifelong struggle with depression. His depression worsened during the peak of his Wu-Tang Clan fame.
“It went from this childhood joy to this euphoric feeling of celebrity to feeling inadequate and not good enough. That’s where the depression and stuff came in,” he tells Men’s Health. “And not even knowing that I’ve been depressed since I was a youngster. A lot of PTSD I had never dealt with before started resurfacing.”
Meth admits that he let people’s opinions impact his fragile mental state. “I didn’t think it would bother me that much, but it did — people’s opinions,” he said. “In hindsight, you delve deeper into your psyche and see where certain things come from. I just wasn’t a happy person.”
“The Power Book II” star said part of his recovery process was changing his social circle and working on his self-esteem.
“It reached a point where misery was loving company, and the people around me were just as miserable. So, it kind of fits. Then I got tired of it and did not want to be around miserable people anymore. I just wanted to see light. I wanted everything light. Forget the darkness,” he added.
Method Man added: “It had nothing to do with other people. It was just me. What can I control? That’s what I did; I took control after that. I stopped valuing other people’s opinions, and instead of being my biggest critic, I became my biggest fan.”
Meth said he made it a point to reach out to old friends he hadn’t heard from in a while.
“The point I’m trying to make is every now and then when you get a thought like, ‘Damn, I wonder what this person’s doing,’ act on it,” Meth added. “Call them, see how they doing or find some way to get in contact with them. It never hurts. You have no idea how much that could mean to them.”
