Silky Smooth: A Cocaine Arrest In Las Vegas Has Done Little To Derail Bruno Mars' Music Career

Bruno Mars is on top of the music world. He has a total of 15 Grammy awards and added a few new ones during the 2021 ceremony thanks to his alter-ego duo, Silk Sonic.

But when he was still starting to make his mark in the industry, he found himself in cuffs.

In September 2010, Mars was arrested after performing at the Hard Rock Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, according to Billboard. He was charged with suspicion of cocaine possession.

Police said the arrest happened around 2 a.m. after hotel security found the singer in a bathroom with what was suspected to be cocaine, Billboard noted.

TMZ reported that a bathroom attendant alerted security that a man was in the stall, possibly using drugs. Investigators said the singer had about 2.6 grams of cocaine.

Mars, whose real name is Peter Hernandez, handed over the drugs when asked by police, according to TMZ. He also “admitted he did a foolish thing and has never used drugs before.”

He was released a few hours after his arrest after being taken to a Las Vegas jail.

The arrest made headlines and saw Bruno smiling not for an album cover but instead of a police mugshot camera. It did little to derail his career, though.

In September 2011, Mars agreed to plead guilty to possession of cocaine but avoided jail time, according to BBC. He was instead put on a year probation, ordered to pay a $2,000 fine, complete 200 hours of community service and attend drug counseling.

His lawyer, Blair Berk, told the judge at that time that his client would stay out of trouble, which Mars has done.

The singer has avoided arrest since the infamous Vegas bathroom incident and now continues to rock out sold-our arenas. He has also headlined the Super Bowl and continues to rack up mountains of awards.

A silky smooth rebound.