The Horror! Kony 2012 Director Jason Russell Detained by Cops for Alleged Public Masturbation

Activist and filmmaker behind viral video campaign against Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony picked up in San Diego

By Natalie Finn Mar 16, 2012 10:46 PMTags
Jason RussellNBC

This probably isn't going to quiet any of Jason Russell's critics.

The Invisible Children cofounder and filmmaker behind Kony 2012, a 29-minute video about Ugandan war lord Joseph Kony that spread like wildfire last week, was detained by San Diego police yesterday for being drunk and allegedly masturbating in public, E! News has confirmed.

Well, at least people might not be focusing on his credibility as an activist for a while.

But what does Russell, who was hospitalized following the incident, have to say for himself?

Understandably, he's not doing the talking at this time.

"Jason Russell was unfortunately hospitalized yesterday suffering from exhaustion, dehydration and malnutrition," Invisible Children CEO Ben Keesey said in a statement obtained by E! News.

"He is now receiving medical care and is focused on getting better. The past two weeks have taken a severe emotional toll on all of us, Jason especially, and that toll manifested itself in an unfortunate incident yesterday. Jason's passion and his work have done so much to help so many, and we are devastated to see him dealing with this personal health issue. We will always love and support Jason, and we ask that you give his entire family privacy during this difficult time."

Russell is married with two children, according to his bio on the Invisible Children website.

San Diego police said during a press conference that they received several calls yesterday at around 11:30 a.m. regarding a man, who authorities say was "in his underwear," running through traffic near the intersection of Ingraham Street and Riviera Road.

"We had information about various stages of undress...wearing only underwear," Lt. Andra Brown told reporters. "At one point it was said that he took that off. When the officers got there he had the underwear back on. Obviously those are things that are not normal and rational behavior, so that's why the officers took the actions they did."

"He was no problem for the police department, however, during the evaluation we learned that we probably needed to take care of him," Brown said. "So officers detained him and transferred him to a local medical facility for further evaluation and treatment."

We wonder what celebs like George Clooney and Rihanna, who helped Kony 2012 go viral, are thinking?