Thursday, October 1, 2026 - A New Orleans music producer was arrested on a count of intentional exposure to HIV after he allegedly infected a bounce artist whose albums he had produced.
According to NOLA, Mykel "MykelOnTheBeat" Cook,
33, was booked into Orleans Justice Center on Sept. 18, court records show.
Initially, he was held without bond pending a Gwen's Law hearing. Magistrate
Commissioner Joyce Sallah set Cook's bond at $250,000 and issued a domestic
protective order for the victim.
Cook has since been released on bond. He also has domestic
violence convictions dating back to 2021 and 2023 in St. Charles and Jefferson
parishes, respectively.
The artist, Jayvonda Bazile, 38, who performs as BOG Vonnie,
asked NOLA.com to identify her publicly. She told the outlet that she decided
to speak because she wants people in the music community to take HIV testing
seriously and believes others could potentially have been exposed.
According to the arrest affidavit, Cook allegedly met Bazile
in 2018 and “agreed to assist her in pursuing a music career and later assumed
the role of her music producer.”
Their professional relationship eventually became personal,
Bazile said.
“We became friends, and we weren’t in a relationship, but we
were casually hooking up, or hanging out, doing music. Doing work to get us in
a better spot in life,” Bazile told the outlet.
0 Comments