Country Artist John Rich Is 'Rooting For Morgan Wallen' Following Arrest
Following Morgan Wallen's arrest, John Rich, one-half of the country music duo Big & Rich, released a statement, hoping the 'Last Night' artist gets help.
Wallen, who was arrested in Nashville on April 7, was also arrested in 2020, and found himself in controversy after using a racial slur in 2021.
Morgan Wallen Arrested After Throwing A Chair
On Sunday, April 7, the 'Last Night' artist was arrested for three counts of reckless endangerment after he reportedly threw a chair from the sixth floor of Eric Church's new honky tonk on Broadway. The chair landed just feet away from police officers.
"Country artist Morgan Wallen, 30, was booked early today on 3 counts of felony reckless endangerment and 1 count of misdemeanor disorderly conduct for throwing a chair from the rooftop of Chief's Bar Sun night. The chair landed on Broadway, close to 2 MNPD officers," Metro Nashville Police Department said.
His attorney, Worrick Robinson, released a statement: "At 10:53 pm Sunday evening, Morgan Wallen was arrested in downtown Nashville for reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct. He is cooperating fully with authorities."
John Rich Speaks On Morgan Wallen's Arrest
According to NBC, the arrest affidavit stated that video footage showed Wallen “lunging and throwing an object over the roof." Eyewitnesses, who were standing in front of Wallen, informed police they “observed him pick up the chair and throw it over him, laughing afterward."
The 'Last Night' artist is “cooperating fully with authorities” following his arrest, his attorney Worrick Robinson told NBC. Wallen made bail, which was set at $15,250.
Following the news, country music star John Rich spoke on Wallen's behavior.
"Reading about Morgan Wallen this morning, and I can't help but recall all the destructive, crazy things I did early on in my career," Rich began in his X post. "The combo of intense pressure, expectations and over the top success is a dangerous cocktail."
Adding, "Thank God I had great mentors who helped guide me out of that mindset, and I hope Morgan has some people around him who care about him enough to help him find a new approach to life. It takes a lifetime to build what he's built, and one second to destroy it all. I'm rooting for him to turn it around."
A fan said, "Fame makes some insane," to which Rich responded, "It can be toxic."
Morgan Wallen Receives Backlash For Racial Slur
While it doesn't seem any other country music singers have spoken out about Wallen's latest arrest, they did speak out after Wallen received backlash for using a racial slur in 2021.
In February 2021, Wallen was under free after news broke that he yelled a racial slur at someone in Nashville. “Take care of this “p-ssy-a-- m-therf---er” -,” Wallen reportedly yelled. “Take care of this p-ssy-a-- n---er."
Following the news, many country music singers shared statements, including Kelsea Ballerini, who said Wallen's actions " do not represent country music."
Marren Morris responded to Kelsea Ballerini, claiming, "It actually IS representative of our town because this isn’t his first 'scuffle' and he just demolished a huge streaming record last month regardless. We all know it wasn’t his first time using that word. We keep them rich and protected at all costs with no recourse."
Wallen's record label also suspended him, while CMT stopped playing his music.
Morgan Wallen Apologizes For Use Of Racial Slur
After the backlash, Wallen issued an apology:
"I’m embarrassed and sorry. I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur that I wish I could take back. 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.”
The 'Last Night' singer has yet to speak on his recent arrest.
This Isn't Morgan Wallen's First Arrest
The 'Whiskey Glasses' artist has had legal trouble in the past, specifically in 2020 for disorderly conduct. Following the arrest, he apologizes for his behavior.
"Hey, y'all just wanted to clear the air. I went out downtown last night with a few old friends. After a couple bar stops, we were horse-playing with each other," he wrote at the time in a social media post. "We didn't mean any harm, and we want to say sorry to any bar staff or anyone that was affected."
Following the backlash, Wallen made a comeback and has been breaking records. His third studio album, 'One Thing At A Time', broke a record when it hit its 19th consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. It now holds the record for the most weeks at No. 1 by a country album.
