Morgan Wallen: Loves Drinking and Raising Hell
By SyndicatedNews | SNN.BZ
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Country music’s reigning bad boy, Morgan Wallen, has built an empire on heartfelt ballads about heartbreak, whiskey, and small-town rebellion. With chart-topping hits like “Whiskey Glasses” and “Last Night,” the 32-year-old Sneedville, Tennessee native has sold millions of albums and packed stadiums worldwide.
But beneath the cowboy hat and stage lights lies a history of brushes with the law, often fueled by alcohol-fueled antics in the neon glow of Nashville’s honky-tonks. Wallen’s legal troubles — from DUIs to disorderly conduct — paint a picture of a star whose off-stage life has repeatedly tested the limits of fame, forgiveness, and public scrutiny.
As recently released bodycam footage from his 2024 arrest resurfaces amid a fresh wave of social media buzz, Wallen’s pattern of misbehavior continues to spark debate: Is he a relatable everyman gone astray, or a celebrity whose recklessness demands accountability? This article traces his arrest history, drawing from court records and police reports, while examining the man behind the mugshots.
Early Days: From “The Voice” to First Arrest (2016)
Wallen’s meteoric rise began in 2014 when he auditioned for The Voice Season 6, charming coaches with his raw twang before an injury sidelined him during the playoffs. Undeterred, he relocated to Nashville, signed with Panacea Records, and dropped his debut single “The Way I Talk” in 2016. That same year, however, his budding career hit a speed bump.
On January 18, 2016, Wallen was pulled over by Nashville police for driving under the influence (DUI). According to Davidson County court records, the then-22-year-old was charged with a misdemeanor DUI after officers observed signs of intoxication behind the wheel. He appeared in court in June 2016, but the case was ultimately dismissed — a quiet reprieve that allowed him to focus on music without major fallout. No mugshot from this incident has ever surfaced publicly, but it marked the start of a recurring theme: alcohol and poor judgment colliding with the law.
Pandemic-Era Chaos: Bar Brawl and Boot from Broadway (2020)
By 2020, Wallen was a rising force in country music, fresh off his debut album If I Know Me. But the COVID-19 lockdowns couldn’t contain his wild side. On the night of May 23, 2020, Wallen found himself at Kid Rock’s Big Ass Honky Tonk & Rock ‘n’ Roll Steakhouse on Nashville’s bustling Lower Broadway. What started as a night out escalated quickly: Witnesses reported Wallen kicking over glass items inside the bar, leading staff to boot him to the curb.
Outside, things worsened. Police reports detail Wallen harassing passersby, yelling profanities, and refusing officers’ commands to calm down. He was arrested around 11 p.m. on charges of public intoxication and disorderly conduct. Released on a $500 bond hours later, Wallen issued a public apology on Instagram, admitting, “I’m not proud of my behavior.”
The mugshot from that night became an instant viral sensation — Wallen, mid-sentence with tousled hair and a sheepish grin, looking every bit the hungover party boy. He even poked fun at it on social media, posting a fresh selfie with the caption, “Just wanted another pic out there that’s not my mugshot.” Prosecutors dropped the charges shortly after, but the incident cemented Wallen’s image as country’s resident troublemaker.
The Chair-Throwing Spectacle: Felonies on Broadway (2024)
Fast-forward to April 7, 2024: Wallen, now a global superstar with his double album Dangerous: The Double Album still dominating charts, returned to form at another celebrity-owned Nashville hotspot — Eric Church’s six-story Chief’s Bar. Celebrating a night out, Wallen allegedly grabbed a chair from the rooftop patio and hurled it over the edge. It plummeted five stories, landing just three feet from two Metro Nashville police officers on the street below.
Bar employees identified Wallen as the culprit, backed by surveillance footage showing him “lunging and throwing an object over the roof” while laughing. Arrested at 10:53 p.m., he faced three felony counts of reckless endangerment (each carrying a potential six-year sentence) and one misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge. Bond was set at $15,250.
Bodycam footage, released in October 2025 by WZTV Nashville, offers a candid glimpse into the chaos. Wallen, cordial but clearly inebriated, chats with officers about country music, name-drops Eric Church on a phone call, and even asks if he can fix his hair for the mugshot to avoid looking like his “messy” 2020 one. “Can you make sure I got my hair looking decent?” he quips. The resulting mugshot? A smirking Wallen, mullet intact, exuding defiant charm that only fueled memes and fan defenses online.
In December 2024, Wallen pleaded guilty to two reduced misdemeanor reckless endangerment counts. His sentence: seven days at a DUI education center (served concurrently), two years of supervised probation, a $350 fine, and court fees. Successful completion could lead to dismissal and expungement. His attorney emphasized Wallen’s cooperation and apologies to those involved.
Beyond the Bars: Other Controversies
Wallen’s arrests are just one thread in a tapestry of scandals. In February 2021, a leaked video captured him using a racial slur, triggering widespread backlash: His label suspended him, radio stations pulled his music, and he was temporarily banned from the 2021 ACM Awards. Wallen apologized, entered rehab, and donated to causes combating racial injustice. His fans rallied, propelling Dangerous to even greater sales.
Smaller flare-ups include a 2020 Stagecoach Festival incident where he violated COVID social-distancing rules by kissing fans, and a 2019 ear-piercing mishap gone wrong (he used a guitar string while tipsy). Through it all, Wallen’s authenticity — flaws and all — resonates with his audience, turning potential career-killers into badge-of-honor stories.
A Pattern of Reckoning?
As of October 2025, Wallen shows no signs of slowing down: He’s headlining arenas, collaborating with legends like Post Malone, and expanding his 1x whiskey brand. Recent X posts reflect divided sentiments — some fans hail the bodycam clips as “humanizing,” with one user noting, “Most of us have been intoxicated and had lack of judgment. He just got caught.” Others question his touring amid repeated arrests: “How is Morgan Wallen still touring when he keeps getting arrested? lol.”
Wallen’s mugshots — the tousled 2020 grin and the polished 2024 smirk — serve as stark reminders of a life lived loud. Yet, in country music’s tradition of redemption arcs, they’ve also become quirky collectibles for die-hards. As he navigates probation and fatherhood (to 4-year-old son Indigo with ex KT Smith), the question lingers: Will this be the wake-up call, or just another verse in Wallen’s rowdy ballad?
For now, the man who sings “I ain’t proud of all the punches that I’ve thrown” keeps throwing — chairs, curveballs, and comebacks. Nashville watches, whiskey in hand.
The 2021 Racial Slur Incident: Timeline, Fallout, and RedemptionOn the night of January 31, 2021, Morgan Wallen returned to his East Nashville home after a 70-hour bender with friends. A Ring doorbell camera on a neighbor’s house captured the group arriving around 1 a.m. As Wallen’s buddies helped him inside, he loudly shouted a string of profanities—then dropped the N-word in full, directed at one of his white friends in a playful but reckless context.
The clip, recorded by Nashville resident Jared Mayes, sat dormant for two days until Mayes sent it to TMZ on February 2. TMZ published the 30-second video that morning with the headline: “Morgan Wallen Caught on Video Using N-Word.”Immediate Industry BlackoutWithin six hours of the video surfacing, the country music ecosystem executed one of the swiftest cancellations in genre history:
| Entity | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Big Loud Records | Suspended Wallen’s recording contract indefinitely | Feb 2 |
| Republic Records | Removed Wallen from all playlists; halted promotion | Feb 2 |
| iHeartMedia, Cumulus, Entercom, SiriusXM | Pulled Wallen from all country radio rotations | Feb 2–3 |
| Country Music Association | Declared Wallen ineligible for 2021 ACM Awards | Feb 3 |
| Academy of Country Music | Banned Wallen from 2021 ACM Awards (held May) | Feb 3 |
| Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music | Removed Wallen from flagship country playlists | Feb 3–4 |
Sales ParadoxDespite the blackout, Dangerous: The Double Album (released January 8, 2021) surged.
- Week of Feb 2–8: 159,000 equivalent album units (up 102% from prior week)
- Held #1 on Billboard 200 for 10 weeks—the longest run for a country album since 1991
- Streams on non-curated platforms (YouTube, personal playlists) doubled
Wallen’s ResponseFebruary 2 (Instagram video, 5 minutes):
“I was around some of my oldest friends, and we say dumb stuff together… There are no excuses… I used an unacceptable and inappropriate racial slur.”
February 10 (letter to fans): Announced 30-day rehab stay in San Diego.February 12 (Good Morning America interview with Michael Strahan – not aired; Wallen declined): He instead recorded a 12-minute Facebook video from rehab, saying:
“I was wrong… I let so many people down who gave me a chance.”
Long-Term Penalties & Path Back
| Penalty | Duration |
|---|---|
| ACM ineligibility | 2021 only |
| CMA ineligibility | 2021 & 2022 |
| Radio airplay ban | ~6 months (gradual return by August 2021) |
| Label suspension | ~9 months (lifted October 2021) |
July 2021: Donated $300,000 to Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) and $300,000 to other Black-led organizations—totaling $600,000 (verified by BMAC).November 2021: Returned to stage at University of Alabama charity concert; first public performance post-scandal.April 2022: Swept ACM Album of the Year (fan-voted category he was eligible for) despite official ban.Public & Peer Reaction
- Supporters: Cited context (“between friends,” alcohol), double-standard vs. rap lyrics, and Wallen’s rural upbringing.
- Critics: Emphasized the word’s weight regardless of intent, especially from country’s biggest star.
- Luke Bryan (March 2021): “It’s a learning moment… He’s gotta grow.”
- Mickey Guyton (Feb 2021): “The hate that I’ve received today for speaking out is exactly why we don’t have more Black people in country music.”
2023–2025 EpilogueBy 2023, Wallen was fully reinstated:
- Headlined 2023 CMA Fest
- Won CMA Entertainer of the Year (2024)
- One Thing at a Time (2023) spent 19 weeks at #1—most ever for a country album
The incident is now referenced by Wallen himself in interviews as “the worst night of my life” and a catalyst for sobriety efforts (he claims 18 months sober as of late 2024). Yet the video remains on TMZ’s site, a permanent digital scar that resurfaces whenever new arrests hit the news cycle.
