The Real Reason Dominic Fike Spent Time Behind Bars

This article contains a discussion of addiction issues.

Dominic Fike spent more than "3 Nights" behind bars. The up-and-coming musician found himself in some legal issues at the cusp of becoming a big name in the music industry.

Born in Naples, Florida, Fike's childhood was anything but easy. His mother was frequently in and out of jail, and he and his siblings would often seek shelter with relatives, per Complex. Fike has been open about sharing how everyone around him was on heavy drugs. "I knew that drugs f***ed people up, but I just didn't connect it because the people I'd been around my whole life were always on drugs," he said. "[I'd see] people with no teeth and s***, I was like, 'That dude just has no teeth.'" 

Despite his troubling childhood, Fike sought comfort in creating music. When he was in high school, he began releasing music on YouTube, but don't go searching for it now because Fike would constantly delete his posts. Over the next couple of years, he and a couple of friends created music that became relatively popular in their area. 

However, Fike dropped it all and completely reinvented himself. In 2017, he dropped an EP titled "Don't Forget About Me" on SoundCloud that featured the smash hit track "3 Nights." The project quickly gained momentum as people fell in love with Fike's music, but unfortunately, he couldn't enjoy much of it because he was in jail.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).

Dominic Fike found himself behind bars at a pinnacle moment in his music career. Growing up in Naples, Fike didn't have much to complain about the area except one thing: the police presence. "There are a lot of police there, and they're real mean," he told The Fader.

Fike might be a little biased, however, because in 2016, he was charged with battery of a police officer, per The Guardian. But that's not what landed him in prison; instead, it was the fact that he broke his probation for the charge that led him to jail time. According to The Guardian, Fike failed a drug test while on probation which was a violation of the "Euphoria" star's agreement and caused him to be thrown in jail. Fike was devastated. "I was not doing too well. I wanted to release music and I was sad about it," he said.

Although he couldn't release his music, Fike's manager could, and he did just that. The musician's manager dropped Fike's EP "Don't Forget About Me," which the artist had worked on before his arrest. The EP was a huge success, but sadly, the musician couldn't be a part of it. 

"I couldn't check the views or respond to the homies. I couldn't talk to people," he told Complex. Despite being in jail, Fike was clearly talented — by the time he walked out of there, not only was he a free man but he was one signing to a record label.

For a while, Dominic Fike refrained from speaking too much about his experience with the police. He told Complex it was "just a wrong place, wrong time, charge with my brother. It's public information now, it's all right there." However, as the "Black Lives Matter" protests became a heavy presence in 2020, Fike, of African American and Filipino descent, opened up even more about his experience with the authorities in a call to defund the police, per NME.

The musician shared a now-deleted Instagram post. "My life has felt cursed since I was a little kid. I've watched police, the supposed good guys, beat my mom and take her away. I've had my brothers taken away. Aunts. Uncles. S***, my dad just got 20," he said. "It's like they had a problem with my family. I've since realized the real curse is the system we live in is designed for us to lose, again and again." 

Fike reflected on his experience in 2016 when he was charged with battery of a police officer. "I tried to defuse a situation with the police and my younger brother; I interfered and the cop made up a story to fit his actions," he said. Fike claimed there are many police officials taking part in "systematic racism" and called for justice for those affected by police brutality. He ended by pleading to defund the police as the height of the "Black Lives Matter" movement continued.