Andrew Gillum’s Hotel Video: Bodycam, Photos, and No Charges

In the early hours of March 13, 2020, Miami Beach police responding to a suspected drug overdose at the Mondrian South Beach hotel found former Tallahassee mayor Andrew Gillum inebriated in Room 1107 with two other men and three small bags of suspected crystal methamphetamine on the bed and floor. The Andrew Gillum hotel video later released by police was heavily redacted under Florida privacy law, showing little of the room’s interior, and a separate leaked photo circulated online through right-wing accounts. No one was arrested and no criminal charges were filed over the incident.¹²

What Happened at the Mondrian South Beach

Fire rescue was called to Room 1107 after a suspected overdose. Three men were inside: Gillum, Travis Dyson, and Aldo Mejias, who had rented the room and placed the 911 call.³

According to the Miami Beach Police Department incident report, Mejias arrived around 11 p.m. He told officers that Dyson opened the door and immediately collapsed on the bed, and that he found Gillum vomiting in the bathroom. When Dyson began having difficulty breathing and vomited again, Mejias performed chest compressions and dialed 911. Mejias told police that both Gillum and Dyson appeared to be “under the influence of an unknown substance.”⁴⁵

When officers arrived, they found Gillum “inebriated” and “initially unresponsive” in the bathroom. The police report stated he was “unable to communicate due to his inebriated state.” Officers recovered three small plastic bags containing suspected crystal methamphetamine from the bed and floor.¹²

Dyson was taken to Mount Sinai Medical Center in stable condition for a possible overdose. Gillum was medically cleared and sent home.⁶²

What the Bodycam Footage Shows

In April 2020, roughly a month after the incident, Miami Beach police released bodycam footage along with crime scene photos and 911 audio. Much of what was released is redacted. Police spokesperson Ernesto Rodriguez explained that state law keeps confidential any footage recorded in a place where privacy is expected, which meant the interior of the hotel room was largely blocked. At least one body camera recording was completely redacted.³

The unredacted portions show Mejias in the hallway granting officers permission to enter. Much of what was released is blurry and lacks audio.³

The Leaked Crime Scene Photos

Images from the room began circulating publicly almost immediately. Conservative commentator Candace Owens posted the police report on Twitter on March 13, the same day as the incident, after receiving it from an undisclosed source. Miami Beach police said they were unable to identify how the report was leaked.⁷

A week later, on March 21, 2020, a photo described as showing a naked, unconscious man alleged to be Gillum on the floor was published online by Jacob Engels, a right-wing activist who ran the website Central Florida Post. Engels said he obtained the image with the help of Enrique Tarrio, then a leader of the Proud Boys and a congressional candidate in South Florida. Tarrio told GQ he received the image from an unnamed source. Both men said Dyson was not their source. The image was subsequently shared by commentator James Woods to his 2.2 million followers.⁸⁷

The official crime scene photos released by police in April showed stained sheets and pillows, crystal meth, and other prescription drugs.⁵

The Other Men in the Room

Travis Dyson was a 30-year-old nurse and sex worker who used the alias “Brodie Scott” on male escort websites. He later told reporters he had met Gillum on Grindr roughly one to two weeks earlier and that they had met multiple times for paid sexual encounters. In an account published by GQ, Dyson alleged that he and Gillum used “G” (GHB) and other narcotics that night, that Gillum passed out after mixing the drug with alcohol, and that he took photos and videos of the incapacitated Gillum, intending to show him later what had happened. Dyson said he cared for Gillum for several hours before overdosing himself.⁹⁶

Aldo Mejias had provided his credit card to Dyson earlier that day to book the room and joined them later that evening. He was the one who called 911.⁴

No charges were ever filed against Dyson or Mejias.⁶

Gillum’s Account and Response

On the day of the incident, Gillum released a statement saying he had been in Miami for a “wedding celebration” and that first responders were called to help “one of my friends.” He admitted to excessive drinking but denied drug use: “While I had too much to drink, I want to be clear that I have never used methamphetamines.” He apologized “to the people of Florida for the distraction this has caused our movement.”¹⁰

Gillum’s version, as told to GQ months later, differed sharply from Dyson’s. Gillum said he had spent the day drinking on Miami Beach before meeting Dyson at the Mondrian, was offered a drink, lost consciousness, and woke up in the bathroom with police present. He said he had no memory of what happened, denied any knowledge of narcotics being used, and denied any awareness of a third man in the room.⁹

Two days after the incident, Gillum announced he would check into a rehabilitation facility for alcoholism and depression, which he attributed to his loss of the 2018 governor’s race. He withdrew from public life.¹¹¹²

In September 2020, Gillum sat for an interview on The Tamron Hall Show alongside his wife, R. Jai Gillum, and publicly disclosed his sexuality for the first time: “I don’t identify as gay, but I do identify as bisexual. And that is something that I have never shared publicly before.”¹³ Addressing the leaked photo in the same interview, he said: “I didn’t recognize the person on the floor. That was not anything more than a person being at their most vulnerable state. Unconscious, having given no consent and someone decided to use a moment where I was literally laying in my own vomit.”¹⁴

R. Jai Gillum defended the couple’s marriage: “All I care about is what’s between us and what agreement we make.” Gillum said he had first told her he was bisexual when they were in their early twenties, before he proposed, and she said she “took a beat” before choosing to marry him.¹⁵

No Charges From the Hotel Incident

Nothing about the Miami Beach hotel incident produced a criminal case. No arrests were made that night, no charges were ever filed against Gillum, Dyson, or Mejias, and the police file was closed.²⁶

Gillum’s later federal indictment was a separate matter. In June 2022, a federal grand jury in the Northern District of Florida returned a 21-count indictment charging him and associate Sharon Lettman-Hicks with conspiracy, wire fraud, and false statements over the alleged misuse of political and campaign funds between 2016 and 2019. That investigation predated the hotel incident and had no connection to it.¹⁶

The trial began in April 2023. On May 4, 2023, after five days and more than 30 hours of deliberation, the jury acquitted Gillum of the false-statements charge and deadlocked on the remaining conspiracy and 17 wire fraud counts, and U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor declared a mistrial. Reporting later indicated the jury had voted 10 to 2 in favor of acquittal on those counts.¹⁷¹⁸ On May 15, 2023, federal prosecutors moved to dismiss all remaining charges against Gillum and Lettman-Hicks, and Judge Winsor granted the motion.¹⁹²⁰

Where Gillum Is Now

In January 2024, Gillum launched a weekly podcast called Native Land Pod for iHeartPodcasts, co-hosting with Tiffany D. Cross and Angela Rye. The show is the flagship program for Reasoned Choice Media. He has not announced plans to run for office again.²¹

1
NBC Miami. Miami Beach Police Release Photos, Body Cam Video in Andrew Gillum Hotel Incident
2
The New York Times. Andrew Gillum Is Found in Miami Beach Hotel Room
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Politico. Andrew Gillum Hotel Room Photos, 911 Audio
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CBS News. Andrew Gillum Found at Scene of Suspected Drug Overdose in Miami Hotel Room
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Politico. Police Release Photos, 911 Audio of Gillum Hotel Room Call
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Miami Herald. Travis Dyson and Andrew Gillum Hotel Incident
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Tallahassee Democrat. Andrew Gillum GQ Article
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The Advocate. Alleged Nude Photo of Andrew Gillum Peddled by Far-Right Gay Blogger
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GQ. Andrew Gillum Marriage Profile
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Tallahassee Democrat. Andrew Gillum Miami Incident
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WTXL. Former Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum Comes Out as Bisexual
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Politico. Andrew Gillum Rehab Therapy
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Axios. Andrew Gillum Bisexual
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Jacksonville.com. Andrew Gillum Breaks Silence on Night at South Beach Hotel
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Florida Politics. R. Jai Gillum Considered Whether to Remain Engaged After Learning of His Bisexuality
16
U.S. Department of Justice. Former Tallahassee Mayor and Gubernatorial Candidate and Associate Charged
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The New York Times. Andrew Gillum Verdict
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Politico. Prosecutors Charges Florida Governor Gillum
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Tallahassee Democrat. Andrew Gillum Corruption Case Prosecutors Move to Drop Charges
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WLRN. Federal Judge Dismisses Andrew Gillum Case After Mistrial
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Tallahassee Democrat. Andrew Gillum Re-Emerges From Court Win as Political Podcast Co-Host