Who is Cyndi Lauper’s ‘troubled’ rapper son, Declyn ‘Dex’ Lauper – who was just arrested? He was just caught with a gun and drugs near an NYC shooting – but his dad David Thornton bailed him out
Cyndi Lauper’s son was allegedly found in possession of a gun and drugs near a recent New York City shooting on February 7, as reported by US media.
The police reportedly found Declyn “Dex” Lauper with a loaded gun near the location where a 24-year-old man was shot in the leg. While it’s not known if he was linked to the shooting, Dex, 26, was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon, per ABC News. US media later shared that he was bailed out by his father David Thornton, who reportedly paid US$20,000 in cash for his son’s release.
It’s not Dex’s first run-in with the law either. According to the New York Post, in 2022 he was caught with a stolen Mercedes outside another rapper’s memorial and plead guilty to avoid being given prison time for the incident.
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After his court appearance, Dex reportedly used the attention to promote his rap career to the New York Post. “Me and my mother have a couple of songs that we recorded,” he told a reporter at the time.
Here’s what we know about the “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” singer’s troubled son.
Dex Lauper is the son of Cyndi Lauper and David Thornton
Dex, full name Declyn Wallace Thornton Lauper, was born to two very famous parents.
He’s the son of actor David Thornton, 70, and singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper, also 70. His dad is known for starring in films such as John Q, Home Alone 3 as Earl Unger, Law & Order, The Notebook and The Other Woman, while his mum is behind many of the 1980s biggest pop songs including “Time After Time”, “True Colors” and “I Drove All Night”. Dex’s parents have been married since 1991, and he is an only child.
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He grew up in the spotlight
Born on November 19, 1997, in New York, Dex was in the public eye from a young age. According to Cyndi’s 2008 interview with The Guardian, he wasn’t unaffected by the fame.
“It’s hard for him,” she said, “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 afterward, ‘Who are you?’ And I said, ‘I’m a mummy.’ And he said, ‘No, you’re not – you’re Cyndi Lauper!’”
He’s a rapper
Like his mum, Dex has chosen to pursue a career in the music world. So far on his YouTube page he’s released four music videos for songs including “Moods” And “Loyalty”, and he’s also done a collaboration with G-Eazy called “Kids” – all of which seem to be well received by fans.
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He’s joined his mum at events
Back in 2013, Cyndi dabbled in reality TV with her series Cyndi Lauper: Still So Unusual. The show, which only ran for one season, centred around her work and family life and both her husband and son made appearances, according to People.
He has over a million followers on Instagram
Whether fans of his music or his parents, Dex has amassed a hefty following on Instagram. As of February, he has 1.8 million followers on the platform, where he shares snippets of his life in Los Angeles, New York and more. In 2020 he shared a video of his “great uncle” saying he was a great inspiration to him.
“My great uncle will always be my mood. I heard they said I was crazy, maybe I got it from him,” he wrote in the caption.
- Cyndi Lauper’s controversial son was allegedly found with a gun and drugs near the scene of a shooting in New York’s Harlem on February 7 – but was quickly bailed out by his dad
- It’s not Dex’s first run-in with the law either – he previously got into trouble after being found with a stolen Mercedes outside another rapper’s memorial and received a no-jail time plea deal