Declyn "Dex" Thornton Lauper, son of singer Cyndi Lauper, was arrested and charged early Thursday morning in New York City for alleged felony unauthorized use of a vehicle. Police reportedly found him sitting in a stolen 2014 Mercedes-Benz C350.
Officers became aware that something was suspicious at 1:40 a.m. when the car was illegally double-parked on the corner of West 140th Street and Broadway. They called in the plates and discovered it was a stolen vehicle. According to TMZ, the Mercedes was stolen two years ago, and the plates were registered to a different car.
Declyn Thornton Lauper, 24, is a rapper with more than 2 million followers on Instagram. He goes by the name “Dex.” He is best known for his song "Wavy" on the album As Life Goes On. His father is actor David Thornton.
David and Cyndi met while filming the 1991 movie Off and Running. They were married that same year. In 1997, they welcomed son Declyn to the world.
Although Dex has publicly commented about his pride in being Cyndi’s son, one can imagine it has not always been easy for him. It is a balancing act of wanting to prove himself on merit and also being grateful for the opportunities his mother’s career has let him have.
Cyndi told The Guardian in 2008 that she worried about the impact it has on him. She stated: "He was two when he first realized I was famous. It's hard for him. People look at him, and he feels the pressure of being my son. Someone came up to me in the street and kept talking and talking. Declyn said afterwards, 'Who are you?' And I said, 'I'm a mommy.' And he said, 'No, you're not – you're Cyndi Lauper!'"
Dex was reportedly released with a desk ticket to appear in court at a future date. He has been active on social media since the event and even posted about the arrest in his Instagram stories.
Dex's most recent Instagram post features new music and is perhaps a thinly veiled plea for privacy during this ordeal. He captioned the video: “No time for TMZ I just want some
Privacy I just want some time for Me !” Here’s hoping that with support from parents Cyndi and David, Dex can privately work out his legal troubles and get back to focusing on his music instead.
