Dwight Howard brings SkinnyFromThe9 to spit raw truth after getting nearly killed in Las Vegas

SkinnyFromThe9’s time in Las Vegas turned into a horror story during what should have been a routine haircut. While he was getting his dreads braided by a woman he had trusted for three years, a man barged in arguing over a debt, accompanied by four masked attackers wielding guns and a knife.

They insisted on money and drugs, threatened his life, beat him for forty-five minutes, and shamefully hacked off parts of his hair.Barely aware, he was rushed to the hospital via Uber since calling 911 wasn’t an option. His brother Josh took photos of the injuries, posting a viral image to shape the narrative before blogs could distort the facts. On the Above The Rim podcast with Dwight Howard, SkinnyFromThe9 shared this harrowing experience and linked it to his chaotic past.

Growing up in Florida as the eldest of seven in foster care and homeless shelters across ten states, he figured out how to survive from a young age.

Music became his saving grace. Tracks like Love Blast landed him in SoundCloud’s Top 10, while record deals with Atlantic and L.A. Reid promised millions that quickly disappeared due to unscrupulous management.

Dwight Howard shares weight struggles and humiliating wake-up call

The assault left Villegas feeling down, gazing at his bruised reflection, one eye shut, a missing tooth, and his hair all messed up.

It blew up on Instagram, revealing his darkest moment. "Everybody seeing me at my lowest like that... Eye closed shut, haircut, missing a tooth," he told Howard."That's what really made me like these people saw me at my lowest. Now when I come back, you will see me ripped. I'mma have abs. Face going to look, I'm going to look like a whole different person."True to his word, Villegas hit the gym hard. The episode opens with him fresh from a session, buzzing with energy.

"That was a good workout. I feel healthy. I feel strong. I feel positive," he said to Howard.

"Just good things are about to happen." This isn't revenge training—it's rebirth. "Not really to like fight people or nothing like that, but just to like get strong and like just get my mind right and my body right," Villegas explained. "I just wanted just to like get rid of all the old me and like just come in like with a new attitude and a new perception on life."Howard related instantly, sharing his own weight struggles post-surgeries—from 190 to 255 pounds and a humiliating wake-up call from a date. "She was like damn [stuff] you got fat," Howard laughed to Villegas. "You don't see yourself getting fat... The internet will let you know." Their exchange underscores a universal truth: rock bottom forces clarity. For Villegas, the Vegas horror was that slap literal and figurative.Villegas’ journey is proof that setbacks don’t have to hold you down. Hitting rock bottom can be the push you need to focus, rebuild, and come back stronger than before. It’s all about taking control and putting in the work.Also Read: NBA Cup prize money breakdown: How much players earn after each win from Quarterfinals to Championships