Country music has always been known for its heartfelt lyrics and catchy tunes, but it’s also had its fair share of controversy and scandal.
Related story These Beloved Country Music Couples Have Been Together for an Impressively Long TimeLike any industry, there are always some people with bad motives (and many with good that experience unfair backlash!) but nowhere is that more obvious than in a genre that is often a little too reluctant to change its views on sexuality, race, gender and more. There isn’t any type of controversy, from cheating scandals, public meltdowns, lawsuits, to controversial song releases, that country stars haven’t faced, to be honest.
Many stars have recovered from the controversies, some have disappeared into oblivion, and others have doubled down. But one thing’s for sure, country music is changing, and more and more stars are getting on board with a more inclusive next chapter for the genre!
With the 2024 ACM Awards airing tonight, now is as good a time as ever to revisit some of the wildest scandals faced by even country music’s most elite. Check out country music biggest scandals over the years below:
A version of this article was previously published in June 2015.
Morgan Wallen’s Arrest
In April 2024, country star Morgan Wallen was arrested for allegedly throwing a chair from a rooftop bar, per Vulture. The chair ended up landing close to two officers who arrested Wallen and charged with three counts of reckless endangerment and one count of disorderly conduct. He was released hours later.
“I didn’t feel right publicly checking in until I made amends with some folks,” Wallen tweeted following the incident. “I’ve touched base with Nashville law enforcement, my family, and the good people at Chief’s. I’m not proud of my behavior, and I accept responsibility.”
Jimmie Allen’s Affair & Divorce
Jimmie Allen and his ex-wife Alexis Gale were one of Hollywood’s biggest power couples until everything came to a screeching halt in April 2023.
In one announcement, Allen revealed that he and Gale (who was pregnant with their third child) were going their separate ways and that he was expecting a child with another woman.
“As we navigate this life change, we can also share that we will be welcoming another child together later this year,” Allen wrote in a statement at the time. “Our number one priority is and always will be ensuring that our children are healthy, happy and loved, and we remain committed to co-parenting with love and respect for one another.”
The pair had been married since 2021.
Jason Aldean’s Controvesial Small Town Song
In 2023, Jason Aldean’s new song “Try That in a Small Town” garnered national attention as it was coined a pro-gun, racist, “modern lynching” song, per Billboard.
Among the lyrics are, “See how far ya make it down the road / Around here, we take care of our own / You cross that line, it won’t take long / For you to find out, I recommend you don’t / Try that in a small town.”
Following the backlash, Aldean attempted to clarify the song’s intention. “I have been accused of releasing a pro-lynching song (a song that has been out since May) and was subject to the comparison that I (direct quote) was not too pleased with the nationwide BLM protests. These references are not only meritless but dangerous,” he wrote on Instagram, per Billboard. “There is not a single lyric in the song that references race or points to it- and there isn’t a single video clip that isn’t real news footage.”
“While I can try and respect others to have their own interpretation of a song with music- this one goes too far,” he continued. “NO ONE, including me, wants to continue to see senseless headlines or families ripped apart.”
Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Origin Story
While Beyoncé’s 2016 CMA performance with The Chicks only proved that there is nothing the star can’t do, it didn’t go down too well with some country music loyalists.
After the performance, some vocalized their disapproval of the performance for a multitude of reasons ranging from criticism of Beyoncé’s liberal-leaning politics, her perceived lack of country music experience, and a dislike of The Chicks (more on that later!) But a lot of the response was just downright racist.
Of course, Beyoncé turned lemons into lemonade when she released her 2024 country album “Cowboy Carter” alongside a message that many took as a belated response to the CMAs incident.
“This album has been over five years in the making. It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t,” she wrote.
Morgan Wallen’s Racism
In February 2021, video of Morgan Wallen surfaced, featuring the country singer using a racial slur while near his Nashville home. Months later, he made an appearance on Good Morning America, where he offered an apology.
“I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back,” the singer said. “There are no excuses to use this type of language, ever. I want to sincerely apologize for using the word. I promise to do better.”
Despite the incident, Wallen has continued to receive many award show nominations and remains a popular country music artist.
Brittany Aldean’s Transphobia
Jason Aldean and his wife Brittany’s conservative political views are no secret. The couple even attended Donald Trump’s New Year’s Eve party in 2022.
But backlash hit an all time high in August 2022 when Brittany posted a transphobic post to Instagram. “I’d really like to thank my parents for not changing my gender when I went through my tomboy phase,” she wrote in the caption of the video. “I love this girly life🤎✌🏼.”
The Band Formerly Known As Lady Antebellum
Dave Haywood, Hillary Scott and Charles Kelley of Lady A, formerly Lady Antebellum, made the decision in June 2020 to change their band’s name as a response to the calls for racial equality following the death of George Floyd.
The band’s new choice of name, however, was already being used by Seattle-based African American singer Anita White. What ensued, was a back-and-forth legal battle over rights of the stage name. On February of 2022, Lady A and White settled their legal battle as they filed joint requests for dismissals, per The Hollywood Reporter.
Lil Nas X’s Country Music Crossover
Lil Nas X’s song “Old Town Road” took country music by storm in 2019. Unfortunately, not everyone was convinced that the artist’s tune was country enough. After the song broke to No. 19 on the Hot Country chart, Billboard removed the song from the genre’s ranking list but kept it on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop list.
Billboard issued a statement, saying, the song “does not embrace enough elements of today’s country music to chart in its current version,” per CBS.
Lil Nas X, however, was totally unbothered by the situation. “The song is country trap. It’s not one, it’s not the other,” the artist shared in an interview with Time. “It’s both. It should be on both [charts].” The song went on to earn a number of Grammy nominations and cemented Lil Nas X as an artist to watch.
Toby Keith’s Pro-War Song
In 2002, just a year after the September 11 attacks, Toby Keith released a song called “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue,” which was widely criticized for its pro-war message.
“And you’ll be sorry that you messed with the U.S. of A. / ‘Cause we’ll put a boot in your a—, it’s the American way,” he sang as the U.S. continued its war on the Middle East.
Randy Travis’s Arrest
Randy Travis landed behind bars in 2012 when he drunkenly crashed his car and was later found intoxicated and naked in the grass. The incident was one of a few public intoxication allegations.
Travis was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to report to an alcohol treatment facility, per Dallas News.
The Chicks v.s George W. Bush
The Chicks (then called the Dixie Chicks) took a major hit when Natalie Maines told a London crowd in 2003 of President George W. Bush, “We’re ashamed that the president of the United States is from Texas.”
The band’s record sales took a major hit but the group has remained strong.
Jason Aldean’s Affair
On Sept. 26, 2012, Jason Aldean was caught cheating on his high-school-sweetheart-turned-wife, Jessica, ending their marriage.
Aldean, who shares two kids with Jessica, was photographed getting close to former American Idol star Brittany Kerr. In 2015, Jason and Brittany got married.
Kenny Chesney & Renée Zellweger’s Divorce
The world was shocked when Kenny Chesney married Renée Zellweger in 2005, but even more so when she filed for divorce on account of fraud only four months later.
The filing sparked rumors that Chesney was gay, which he later denied.
“Maybe I should’ve come out and said that, ‘No, I’m not.’ But I didn’t want to draw any more attention to it, you know, ’cause I knew I wasn’t … it’s not true, period,” Chesney told 60 Minutes in 2007.
“The only fraud that was committed was me thinking that I knew what it was going to be like, that I really understood what it was like to be married, and I really didn’t.”
In 2016, Zellweger told The Advocate that “fraud” was simply legal language.
“It made me sad that somehow people were using that as a way to be cruel and calling someone gay as a pejorative, which has fateful consequences. Of course, there’s the bigger-picture problem of why anyone had to make up a story at all,” she added.
LeAnn Rimes’ Legal Battle With Her Father
In 2000, a young LeAnn Rimes was in the middle of controversy at age 17 by filing a lawsuit against her own father claiming he owed her more than $7 million. While the duo eventually reconciled after settling the legal dispute, the singer spoke out about the dangers of parents managing kids’ careers amid Britney Spears’ legal battle with her father.
“Looking back, I think my dad did the best that he could. Parents managing a child is always a recipe for disaster. For me, it became a business and I ended up not having parents,” she told People in 2023.
Brad Paisley’s ‘Accidental Racist’ Song
In 2013, Brad Paisley released the song “Accidental Racist,” a collaboration with rapper LL Cool J that was quickly panned for its tone-deaf attempt to address racial issues.
“This song was meant to generate discussion among the people who listen to my albums,” Paisley told Vulture. “But I thought that my fans would get something out of hearing a point of view that they don’t hear very often — a perspective you really don’t hear in country music… There is a gulf of understanding that I was trying to address.”
Billy Ray Cyrus’ Affair
Back in the day, Billy Ray Cyrus began dating Kristin Luckey and Miley’s mom, Tish at the same time and the two women gave birth to Cyrus’ offpsring only seven months apart.
Billy Ray and Tish stayed together, eventually marrying and welcoming two more kids in the decades-long marriage. In 2022, the two officially went their separate ways.
Willie Nelson’s Arrest
In 2006, Willie Nelson was arrested when his tour bus was pulled over and police found 1.5 pounds of marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms. The singer was held in custody briefly before paying a $2,500 bond to be released, per ABC News.
Zac Brown’s Arrest
In 2016, Zac Brown was arrested for possession of drugs, including cocaine. Brown claimed that he had been “in the wrong place at the wrong time,” per People.
“I attended a private gathering at a Miami-area hotel and had only been there for a short time when police officers arrived and arrested two people in the room who had just showed up a few minutes before. I did not know these people and had no idea that there were drugs in their possession,” he said in a statement.
“I cooperated fully with the authorities and am not part of any ongoing police investigation. Everyone is responsible for their actions, and I regret using poor judgment and putting myself in that position.”
Garth Brooks’ Infidelity
In the ’90s, Garth Brooks made waves for admitting he cheated on his then-wife, Sandy Mahl, with Trisha Yearwood — whom he ultimately married in 2005 and has been with ever since.
Brooks and Mahl wed in 1986 and went on to have three children together. But Brooks later admitted that his marriage was forever changed when he first met and began collaborating with Yearwood in 1987.
“It’s strange because I felt that feeling like when you just meet your wife, but I’ve been married for 13 months,” Brooks said during a 2013 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
Taylor Swift’s First Kanye West Run-In
The moment Kanye West hijacked Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Video Awards will long live in infamy in Nashville circles.
West interrupted the former country star’s big win to claim that the award should have gone to Beyoncé.
Shania Twain’s Revenge
After finding out in 2008 her husband was cheating with her best friend, Shania Twain flipped the script by later marrying her former bestie’s hunky husband, Frédéric Thiébaud.
Wynonna Judd’s Marriage Breakdown
While Wynonna Judd’s then-husband D.R. Roach was in rehab in 2007, he was convicted on 13 counts of sexual battery of a minor younger than 13. The two split that same year.
LeAnn Rimes… again
LeAnn Rimes went from country music darling to public enemy #1 when she started a relationship with married actor Eddie Cibrian while he was still with Real Housewives star Brandi Glanville.
Cibrian then got divorced from Glanville and tied the knot with Rimes less than a year later. The two are married to this day.
Hank Williams Jr’s Offensive Remarks
In 2011, when Hank Williams Jr. made a joke comparing Obama to Hitler on Fox & Friends, it got his theme song pulled from Monday Night Football.
The controversial star never apologized for the incident and, instead, doubled down by making another statement to his concert crowd a year later calling the president “a Muslim president who hates farming, hates the military, hates the U.S. and we hate him!”
Keith Urban’s Alleged Infidelity
Although rumors have long plagued Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman, they hit an all-time high in 2006 when lingerie model Amanda Wyatt claimed she had an affair with Urban.
“I feel sorry for Nicole. Keith cheated on her repeatedly with me, right up to just before they got married,” Wyatt told The Daily Mail. “He’s done it once, and he’ll probably do it again.” Despite the claims, the two have not commented on the rumors and have stayed together ever since.
Blake Shelton & Miranda Lambert’s Divorce
Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert dropped a bomb on fans in 2015 when they announced they were divorcing the day it was finalized.
“This is not the future we envisioned,” a rep for the couple said in a statement at the time, per Us Weekly. “And it is with heavy hearts that we move forward separately. We are real people, with real lives, with real families, friends and colleagues. Therefore, we kindly ask for privacy and compassion concerning this very personal matter.”
A few years after their split, it seemed Shelton and Lambert still hadn’t buried the hatched when Shelton seemingly tweeted about his ex-wife’s split from Evan Felker. “Been taking the high road for a long time.. I almost gave up,” Shelton tweeted. “But I can finally see something on the horizon up there!! Wait!! Could it be?! Yep!! It’s karma!!”
Loretta Lynn’s Progressive Song
In 1975, Loretta Lynn released the song “The Pill,” which was considered outrageous for its frank discussion of birth control. Radio stations refused to play the tune, and even to this day, some still do.
The song was a celebratory ode of birth control and sexual freedom with lyrics like: “This old maternity dress I’ve got is going in the garbage / The clothes I’m wearing from now on won’t take up so much yardage / Miniskirts, hot pants, and a few little fancy frills / Yeah, I’m making up for all those years since I’ve got the pill.”
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