VERDICT
Everyone's delulu
Badu shot guerrilla-style without permits in a public space with families present, then relied on telepathy instead of actual consent—that's delulu. But the Dallas PD also manufactured a crime by actively recruiting a complainant *after* the video went viral, when hundreds of actual witnesses said nothing at the time. Both sides bent reality to fit their agenda.
The situation
On March 13, 2010,[94] Badu filmed the video for her song "Window Seat", at Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas, the site of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. She wrote on her Twitter feed that the video "was shot guerrilla style, no crew, 1 take, no closed set, no warning, 2 min., Downtown Dallas, then ran like hell."[95] The team did not acquire permission or permits from the city. In the video, Badu shed her clothes as she walked along a Dallas sidewalk until she was nude at the site where Kennedy was shot. A shot rang out as the song ended, Badu's head jerked back, and she fell to the ground. Children with their families could be seen nearby as Badu stripped.[96] When asked about stripping nude in the presence of minors, Badu said, "I didn't think about them until I saw them, and in my mind I tried to telepathically communicate my good intent to them. That's all I could do, and I hoped they wouldn't be traumatized." On April 2, 2010, Badu was charged with disorderly conduct as a result of this nudity. Though Badu's performance had an estimated hundreds of eyewitnesses, none complained to police at the time of the incident. After the video gained attention online, the Dallas Police Department actively sought witnesses and complainants.[98] Sgt. Warren Mitchell said the decision to cite Badu for a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 came after witness Ida Espinosa, 32, of Vernon, offered a sworn statement to police Thursday, April 1. Espinosa declined to comment to The Associated Press.[99] On April 28, 2010, Badu pleaded not guilty rather than paying the fee by mail.[98][100] On August 13, she paid the $500 ticket and began a term of six months' probation.