A social media influencer has been arrested after he allegedly refused to pay his tab costing nearly $400 at a Nashville restaurant.
Dalton Eatherly — who goes by Chud the Builder online and is known for trying to provoke people during his livestreams by saying racial slurs — was taken into custody Saturday night after police were called to Bob’s Steak & Chop House, which is located in a hotel downtown.
According to Eatherly’s arrest affidavit, the restaurant staff and security manager told cops that they had asked Eatherly not to be disruptive or livestream while he was being served, according to local NBC affiliate WSMV.
The 28-year-old contractor went on to order two full entrees, drinks and appetizers that amounted to a $371.55 bill, the police report said. The restaurant workers then realized that he had allegedly been live streaming on the crypto trading platform pump.fun the entire time, and asked him to stop.
Eatherly allegedly became disruptive at the request and began to make racial statements, yell and cause a scene. He then said, “I’m not paying if you are kicking me out,” according to the affidavit.
He then left the restaurant, which is when staff called the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office.
Officers found the streamer walking on Broadway. The affidavit said he “pulled his arm away” while being taken into custody, but was otherwise arrested without incident.
He was admitted to jail Sunday at around 4 a.m. local time, according to online inmate records. He was booked on a bond totaling $5,000 and was released around seven hours later.
Eatherly is charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and theft of services.
After the incident, Eatherly shared the full livestream footage on X, claimed that police had taken his phone as “evidence of the crime,” and made his mugshot his profile picture on the platform.
“Just got back to my airbnb after 13hours in custody for leaving a restaurant when i was asked to,” he wrote.
He said in a separate post: “I partially ate the two appetizers i ordered. Never got my meal, and couldnt enjoy or finish the food i did get.”
Eatherly did not immediately return The Independent’s request for comment on the recent allegations against him.
The streamer has defended his inflammatory behavior as free speech in the past.
On a fundraising page launched in November, Eatherly asked for financial help after saying his contracting business in Clarksville, Tennessee, was struggling because he was “under attack” for his racist online presence.
“I’ve shared mild jokes, unfiltered thoughts, and yes, sometimes I’ve used the N-word in what I thought was edgy, harmless humor,” Eatherly said on the site. “ I know it’s controversial, but it’s my right to speak freely.”
