Ever since Lil Nas X (né Montero Lamar Hill) released his country rap song, “Old Town Road,” the singer/songwriter has been topping charts. His debut studio album, MONTERO, was released in September of 2021 with several hit singles and superstar features (Jack Harlow, Doja Cat, Elton John, Megan Thee Stallion, and Miley Cyrus all make guest appearances on the record). One of Lil Nas X’s more popular songs, “THATS WHAT I WANT,” recently inspired a dramatic episode of the talk show, The Maury Show.
Videos by American Songwriter
The episode unfolds as a riveting dive into the love triangle between Lil Nas X, Yai Ariza, and Ashley. Lil Nas X—who simply goes by his given name, Montero, for the episode—has been having an affair with Ariza while Ariza was married to Ashley. Given this tangled state of affairs, the show was titled “LEAVE YOUR WIFE FOR ME TODAY…THAT’S WHAT I WANT!”
“Montero came to the Maury show, and Maury was happy to help Montero tell this story and contribute to the [Lil Nas X] creative vision,” a spokesperson for the show said in a statement to The LA Times.
The specific events in this episode include confessions of infidelity, a lie detector test, melodramatic accusations, and even a paternity test (Montero calls the paternity of Ariza and Ashley’s child into question).
Outside of this Maury episode, Yai Ariza had starred in the official music video for “THATS WHAT I WANT,” and he previously dated Lil Nas X. “We were dating, and we are still on very good terms,” Lil Nas X recently told SiriusXM’s Hits 1 LA. “You know, we may date again, I’m sure.”
With this background information, the Maury episode feels more real than just a sketch for daytime TV, but as usual, the “Industry Baby” singer has taken his art to the next level.
Watch the full episode of Lil Nas X on The Maury Show, below.
Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.